Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Wednesday that the operation Euphrates Shield will continue until the northern Syrian city of Al-Bab, which is the stronghold of Daesh terrorists in the region.
His statement comes hours after the Syrian military's barrel bomb attacks on Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA), killing two fighters.
During a joint news conference after meeting Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour, Turkish FM Çavuşoğlu vowed that Turkey will not be deterred from its operation against the terror groups after the regime attack.
The attack late on Tuesday killed two FSA soldiers and wounded five others, the Turkish military said, in what appeared to be the first direct clash with Syrian forces since Turkey launched the operation Euphrates Shield in August.
Forces loyal to Syrian regime continue to bomb moderate oppositions instead of Daesh, Çavuşoğlu told reporters at a news conference.
But Turkish military operations to clear its border of terrorist groups, including Daesh and PYD-YPG, will continue until the forces it backs take the Syrian city of al-Bab, he added.
While speaking on Mosul operation in Iraq, FM Çavuşoğlu said that Turkey keeps its military on standby and will use them whenever needed.
Turkey will take all necessary measures if there is an attack against the Turkmen populated Iraqi city of Tal Afar, Çavuşoğlu noted, adding that Turkey will not forsake the Turkmens living there
A largely Iranian-trained Shi'ite paramilitary force said last week it would back Iraqi government forces advancing towards Tal Afar, about 55 km (34 miles) west of Mosul.
Turkey fears the use of Shi'ite militias in the U.S.-backed offensive on Mosul, Daesh's last major stronghold in Iraq, will trigger sectarian strife in the mainly Sunni region and trigger an exodus of refugees.
"Fighting Daesh is necessary, but the process after Daesh must be planned carefully," Çavuşoğlu said.
“Ethnic and sectarian balances must be taken into account in Mosul and Tal Afar,” a Daesh-held city 63 kilometers (39 miles) west of Mosul, he added.
Pointing to the threat of Hashd al-Shaabi, an umbrella group of pro-government Shia militias, Çavuşoğlu said in addition to the expected attack on Mosul, the militia is also targeting largely Sunni areas.
Çavuşoğlu underlined that Turkey will "take all precautionary measures allowed by international law" if anything in Tal Afar threatens Turkey's security.
Çavuşoğlu also warned that Turkey "will not be insensitive" if the Turkmens of Tal Afar are attacked.
During a meeting with U.S. officials in Ankara on Nov. 4, Turkey made it clear it supports the homecoming of all Sunni and Shia Turkmen to Tal Afar after Mosul's liberation, but it does not want Hashd al-Shaabi to settle in the district, according to a Turkish diplomatic source.
In Turkey's view, Hashd al-Shaabi moving into Tal Afar would bring sectarian conflict to the city, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on talking with the media.
Turkish authorities also warned that Tal Afar's Turkmen would be harmed the most by the presence of Shia militants there.
The Turkmen people have been oppressed ever since Daesh occupied Mosul and Tal Afar in 2014.
Since the occupation began, Tal Afar's population has plummeted from over a half-million to less than 50,000, mostly consisting of Turkmen.
Çavuşoğlu said that during his meeting with his Sudanese counterpart, recent developments in both Africa and Turkey were discussed.
He praised Sudan's objective and balanced approach to the peace process in Sudan and said Turkey supports Sudan's efforts to normalize its ties with the international community.
Ghandour, for his part, said his main reason for visiting Turkey was to show Sudan's support for Turkey in the wake of its defeat of the recent coup attempt.
Asked about the FETO-linked schools closed in Sudan after the July 15 coup attempt, Ghandour said Turkey's security "constitutes one of Sudan's red lines".
"Our support for the Turkish government and Turkish people requires us to take these kinds of measures and to close the schools linked to this terror group. We closed these schools and handed them over to our Education Ministry," he added.
Led by the U.S.-based Fetullah Gülen, Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) had orchestrated the coup plot as well as staged a long-running campaign to overthrow the government through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.
The July 15 coup attempt left 241 people martyred and some 2,200 injured in Turkey.
