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A9
WORLD NEWS Thursday 5 april 2018

Erdogan: Turkey to keep pushing

Kurds out of Syria's north

By SUZAN FRASER controlled by the (YPG), about the need to stay in
Associated Press starting with Manbij," Erdo- Iraq and Syria to finish off
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) gan said. the militant group, which
— Turkish President Re- He stressed that Turkey's once controlled large
cep Tayyip Erdogan said fight against the YPG would swaths of territory in both
Wednesday that his military not distract from efforts to countries.
"won't stop" trying to oust eliminate remnants of the Asked about a possible U.S.
Syrian Kurdish fighters from Islamic State group from pullout, Rouhani suggested
northern Syria, as he met the country. Wednesday that the U.S.
with the leaders of Russia Wednesday's summit came threat to withdraw from Syr-
and Iran for talks on trying as the White House said its ia was an excuse for solic-
to resolve the conflict. military mission to eradicate iting money from countries
The three countries, which IS in Syria was coming to a that want U.S. forces to re-
have teamed up to work "rapid end," though it of- main there.
for a Syria settlement de- fered no timetable for with- “One day they say they
spite their differences, re- drawal of the roughly 2,000 want to pull out of Syria. ...
affirmed their commitment U.S. troops currently in Syria Then it turns out that they
to Syria's territorial integrity as part of an American-led are craving money,” he
and the continuation of lo- coalition fighting the Islam- said. “They have told Arab
cal cease-fires. They called ic militants since 2014. Presi- countries to give them
on the international com- dent Donald Trump had money to remain in Syria.”
munity to provide more aid said a day earlier that the It was unclear what Rou-
for war-ravaged Syria. U.S.'s primary mission was hani was referring to. But
Erdogan, President Vladimir to defeat IS and "we've al- Trump in recent weeks has Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and Iran's Presi-
dent Hassan Rouhani shake hands before a meeting in Ankara,
Putin of Russia and Iranian most completed that task." asked Saudi Arabia to con- Turkey, Wednesday, April 4, 2018.
President Hassan Rouhani With allies anxious about tribute $4 billion for recon- Associated Press
were holding their second a hasty U.S. withdrawal, struction in Syria as part of
summit to discuss Syria's fu- White House press secre- his efforts to get other coun- and Russian militaries were Army of Islam, the biggest
ture since attending a simi- tary Sarah Sanders said tries to help pay for stabiliz- discussing the possibility of opposition group in eastern
lar meeting in Sochi, Russia, Wednesday that the U.S. ing the country, according establishing field hospitals Ghouta, to leave the area
in November. Russia and would stay in war-torn Syria to a U.S. official who spoke in Syria’s Tal Abyad town for the rebel-controlled
Iran have provided crucial to finish off the job of de- on condition of anonymity to care for people injured north. The rebels were still
support to President Bashar feating the Islamic State because he wasn’t autho- in the Syrian government leaving the town of Dou-
Assad's forces, while Tur- group and was committed rized to discuss the conver- offensive on the rebel-held ma, but the evacuation
key has backed the rebels to eliminating the militants’ sations publicly. Damascus suburbs of east- was expected to wrap up
seeking to overthrow him. “small” presence that “our Rouhani also reiterated ern Ghouta. “Be it the Turk- in the coming days, said
Speaking at a joint news forces have not already that there can be no mili- ish armed forces, be it the Col. Gen. Sergei Rudskoy of
conference, Erdogan said eradicated.” tary solution to the Syrian Russian armed forces, (we) the Russian General Staff.
Turkish troops, which last But Sanders suggested that crisis. “It should be resolved want to quickly establish a Earlier, Russia’s Defense
month took control of the would not be a long-term through political solutions,” field hospital so that initial Ministry said that more than
northwestern Kurdish en- endeavor, and she de- he said. treatment can be provid- 3,000 rebels and their family
clave of Afrin, would move scribed the extremist group Russia, Iran and Turkey have ed,” Erdogan said. members had evacuated
eastward into Manbij and that once controlled vast sponsored several rounds Meanwhile, the Russian mil- Douma since Sunday.
other areas controlled by swaths of Syria and Iraq of talks between the Syrian itary said Wednesday that The evacuation comes af-
the U.S.-backed Kurdish mi- as “almost completely de- government and the oppo- it expects a rebel evacua- ter a blistering five-week
litia, the Peoples' Protection stroyed.” sition, and brokered local tion from the suburbs of the government offensive in
Units, or YPG, which Turkey Trump’s comments conflict truces in four areas, helping Syrian capital to be com- February and March that
considers to be terrorists. with views of his top military to reduce hostilities. Their pleted in the coming days. killed hundreds of people
"I say here once again that advisers, some of whom next tripartite meeting will The Russian Defense Minis- and caused catastrophic
we will not stop until we spoke at a separate event be held in Tehran. try and Syrian rebels struck damage in the besieged
have made safe all areas in Washington on Tuesday Erdogan said the Turkish a deal on Sunday for the suburbs.q