Turkish army will move further south in the Syrian territory to create a "de facto safe zone" of 5,000 square kilometers in the Manbij region, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Chavusoglu said, Anadolu reported.
"First we should go down at least 45 kilometers [30 miles] to close the Manbij pocket. And this area can be a de facto safe zone. It is around 5,000 square kilometers," Chavusoglu told France 24 broadcaster in an interview.
On Aug. 24 morning, the Turkish Air Force, with the support of the coalition aircraft, launched an operation to liberate the city of Jarabulus from the IS militants in northern Syria, near Aleppo.
The operation was dubbed “Shield of the Euphrates.”
Syria has been suffering from an armed conflict since March 2011, which, according to the UN, has so far claimed over 500,000 lives. Militants from various armed groups are confronting the Syrian government troops. The IS, YPG and PYD are the most active terrorist groups in Syria.