Following talks with his Russian and Iranian counterparts Sergey Lavrov and Javad Zarif at a press conference, Cavusoglu said the United States’ support for the PYD and YPG must stop.

"In 2016, the US promised that these terrorist organizations would leave Syria. We want the Americans to keep their word and facilitate the return of these areas [Afrin and Manbij] to civilians living there," the Turkish foreign minister added.

According to Hurriyet daily news he said his country, Iran and Russia are keen to maintain the unity of Syria.

Turkish troops and Syrian rebels captured Afrin held by the Kurdish forces after an advance on the center, part of the cross-border operation in the region that began on January 20.

Relations between NATO allies Ankara and Washington have worsened since Turkey launched the operation, with the United States urging restraint and fearing an impact on the fight against the Islamic State (IS) extremist group.

Reporter’s code: 50101