The Turkish Foreign Ministry in a later Friday statement castigated US plans.
"When the Operation Peace Spring began, information was transmitted to the US Government at all levels. The target and scope of the operation have been shared with the international public in full clarity [...] Turkey is fighting terrorist organizations posing a threat to national security, and this struggle will be continued with determination. No one should doubt that we will respond in full against each step to the full extent of reciprocity", the ministry said in the statement.
Friday marked the third day of Turkey’s military offensive into northern Syria. Earlier on Friday, the Turkish Defense Ministry said that as many as 399 "terrorists" had been "neutralized".
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claims that 'Operation Peace Spring' is targeting the predominantly-Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Daesh terrorist group.
Turkey views the SDF as an extension of the Kurdistan People’s Party (PKK), or PKK/PYD-YPG, which has been classified by Ankara as a terrorist organization.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said earlier that 'Operation Peace Spring' was launched "in accordance with international law, Article 51 of the UN Charter and UN Security Council Resolutions on fight against terrorism".
The Turkish military campaign has prompted a backlash among the international community,, particularly in the Arab world, while US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose something "tougher" than sanctions.
*Daesh (ISIS, ISIL, IS, Islamic State) is a terrorist group banned in Russia and many other countries.
