Trump Did Not Give Erdogan Greenlight For Turkish Offensive In Syria - State Department

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th December, 2018) US President Donald Trump did not give Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan the go-ahead to launch a military operation in Syria, State Department Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino told reporters.

Erdogan on Monday said Trump had responded positively to Turkey's plans to launch an offensive on the eastern side of the Euphrates River.

When asked on Tuesday whether the Turkish president had made a misstatement, Palladino said, "Yes."

The United States is focused on reforming the Syrian government and "the international process that gives everyone a chance to live in Syria," Palladino said.

Last Wednesday, Erdogan announced that the Turkish army was ready to start an offensive on the Euphrates east bank at the earliest opportunity.

US Defense Department spokesperson Cmdr. Sean Robertson told Sputnik shortly afterward that Turkey's prospective unilateral military operation in northeast Syria if launched would be unacceptable.