Turkish-backed rebels are just 2 km (1.25 miles) from
the northern Syrian city of al Bab and are expected to take it from
Islamic State quickly despite some resistance, Turkish President
Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.
The rebels said on Tuesday they had taken Qabasin, several km
northeast of al Bab, to set the stage for an onslaught on the last
urban stronghold of Islamic State in the northern Aleppo
countryside. Kurdish-dominated militias have also been pursuing a
drive to seize al Bab.
At a news conference before departing on a trip to Pakistan,
Erdogan also accused Germany of not being fully committed to the
fight against terrorism and of supporting the Kurdistan Workers
Party (PKK) militant group.
He also said that an executive presidential system in Turkey,
which he has long sought, should not mean the president cutting
ties to his political party, saying that would constitute a
weakness in the system.