Russia told Turkey that the PKK-linked People's Protection Units (YPG) terrorists have almost entirely left Syria's Tal Rifaat, Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin said Thursday.

Axar.az informs citing DS.

Kalin added that Turkey was trying to verify that information through its sources.

He stressed that Operation Olive Branch will continue until the whole region of Syria's Afrin, including Tal Rifaat, is cleared from terrorist elements.

Commenting on possible U.S. withdrawal from Syria, Kalin said contradicting messages from President Donald Trump and the U.S. military "signals serious confusion."

The presidential aide also warned France not to repeat U.S.' mistakes, when asked to assess reports of French troop deployment in Manbij.

France, like the U.S., will not be able to convince Turkey that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the YPG and the PKK can be differentiated because Ankara knows the situation on the ground, Kalin said.

Also on Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ said that Tal Rifaat will be cleared of terrorist groups YPG/PYD, just like Afrin.

Speaking to Habertürk news channel, Bozdağ said: "Just as YPG/PYD terror organizations were cleared of Afrin, now Tal Rifaat will be cleared."

Turkey on Jan. 20 launched Operation Olive Branch to clear terrorist groups from Afrin, northwestern Syria, near Turkey's border, amid growing threats from the region.

On Mar. 18, the 58th day of the operation, Turkish troops and the Free Syrian Army members announced that the city had been liberated.