MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Wednesday, Ankara launched the "Euphrates Shield" military operation with aerial support from the US-led coalition, with the stated aim of clearing the town of Jarablus in northern Syria of the Daesh terrorist group.
"I think the Turks are prepared to stay in the effort to take out ISIL [Daesh] as long as it takes," Biden said. "I think there has been a gradual mindshift set change in Turkey with the realization that ISIL is an existential threat to Turkey. They demonstrated that."
Biden visited Ankara on August 24, where he also discussed the failed coup attempt.
According to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the operation in Jarablus is aimed at neutralizing the threats posed by both Daesh and Kurdish militants in Syria, which Ankara considers to be linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is classified as a terrorists organization in Turkey.
The Syrian Kurds and Damascus accused Ankara of violating the territorial integrity of the Arab republic.