Turkey in talks with Russia about using Syrian airspace

Turkey has carried out several attacks on northern Syria against the YPG and has been threatening a new attack for months. It stepped up preparations last month after a deadly bomb attack in Istanbul it blamed on Kurdish militants.

The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group and the US-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), spearheaded by the YPG, have denied involvement in the bombing of the busy pedestrian avenue.

Turkey launched air strikes against YPG targets in November and President Tayyip Erdogan signaled a possible ground offensive.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Akar said Ankara was in talks with Moscow, which supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces, about the operation, Reuters reported. 

"We are in talks and discussing with Russia about all issues including opening the airspace," he said.

Turkey sees the YPG militia, the leading presence in the SDF, as the Syrian wing of the PKK, which is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey.

MNA/PR