Russian officials have conveyed to Turkish authorities that the YPG militants have withdrawn from a strip of land on the Syrian-Turkish border within a 150-hour deadline set by Ankara and Moscow, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Tuesday.
Russia's defence minister said earlier on Tuesday that the YPG had completed their withdrawal ahead of the deadline, but a top aide to Erdoğan said Turkey would now see through planned joint patrols with Russia whether the fighters had really pulled out of the area or not.
Speaking in Ankara at a celebration marking the anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic, Erdoğan said: "The 120-hour agreement with the U.S. and the 150-hour agreement with Russia, that we made ended. We will have talks tomorrow."
Erdoğan said that apart from Turkey, everyone who is interested in Syria has primary goal of controlling oil resources.
"A primitive understanding that considers a drop of oil more valuable than a drop of blood, is blatantly obvious," he said.
On Oct. 9, Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring to eliminate terrorists from northern Syria east of the Euphrates River in order to secure Turkey's borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees, and ensure Syria's territorial integrity.
Last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held a meeting in Russia's Black Sea resort town of Sochi.
Ankara and Moscow reached a deal under which YPG/PKK terrorists will pull back 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) south of Turkey's border with northern Syria within 150 hours, and security forces from Turkey and Russia will conduct joint patrols there.
In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union -- has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the Syrian offshoot of the PKK.
