US allows Turkey to 'move' into northern Syria. An invasion on the cards?

In a statement released on Sunday, the US White House said, after a conversation between President Trump and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, that Turkey will move into northern Syria and will be responsible for all fighters captured in the area, Reuters reported. US forces will not be involved in operation. In essence, this could mean a US-sanctioned invasion by Turkey, according to international observers. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had earlier warned of a full-blown war if Turkey invades northern Syria, some portions of the territory which the latter occupies as a 'safe zone'.

Erdogan and Trump had earlier agreed during a phone call to meet in Washington to discuss creating a safe zone in northern Syria. Erdogan told Trump of his "frustration over the US military and security bureaucracy's failure to implement the deal" agreed in August to establish a buffer zone on the Turkish border, the presidency said in a statement.

It added that the visit would take place after an invitation from Trump. There had been expectations in Turkey of a Trump-Erdogan meeting on Syria last month on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, but it did not take place.

The Turkish leader had raised the temperature on Saturday by warning that Ankara could launch a cross-border offensive "as soon as today, tomorrow", putting pressure on the United States.

Turkey is hosting over 3.6 million Syrian refugees but there has been a growing public backlash in recent months against their presence in Turkey.

With some Western capitals concerned over any unilateral Turkish operation's impact on the fight against IS jihadists, Erdogan insisted Turkey would take the "necessary precautions" to ensure there was no extremist resurgence in the region.