Erdogan announced in a statement his country's determination to "complete the remnants of the 30-kilometer safe zone" in northern Syria.
According to TRT, Erdogan announced at a cabinet meeting that Turkish military and security forces were preparing for an operation that would ensure regional security at a depth of 30 km from Turkey's southern border.
Critics of Erdogan, including two prominent Turkish journalists and analysts, Cengiz Aktar and Abdullah Buzkurt, have interpreted the remarks as "a signal of a new attack on the Syrian Kurds."
It should be noted that Turkey has long sought to occupy a 30-kilometer strip along its southern border with Syria in order to establish what it considers to be a "safe zone", thus removing Kurdish forces from its borders and prevent Kurds from creating a Kurdish entity in the region.
But despite the occupation of parts of northern Syria, including Afrin, Jarablus, Gri Sepi and Sarkani, US and Russian intervention prevented Turkey from carrying out the plan.
It is worth mentioning now that the issue of Sweden and Finland joining the NATO alliance has been raised and only Turkey is against it, ankara has resorted to blackmail the move and has particularly called for the two European states' reconsideration of their ties with the Syrian Kurds.
Silence in the face of another military strike on the Syrian Kurds could be another concession that Erdogan is seeking from his NATO allies.
Reporter's code: 50101