An offensive to retake the Syrian city of Raqqa from Islamic State using Kurdish militia fighters would trigger an ethnic conflict there; a senior Turkish official said and warned that the operation should avoid triggering further divisions.
The official said Syrian Kurdish YPG has so far failed to entirely withdraw from the Syrian city of Manbij west of the Euphrates River despite promises for it to do so.
Turkey views the YPG as a hostile force with deep links to Kurdish militants who have fought a three-decade insurgency on Turkish soil, putting it at odds with Washington which sees the YPG as a valuable and effective ally in its fight against Islamic State in Syria.
Driving out Islamic State from the Syrian city of al-Bab is among the targets of Turkey's incursion into northern Syria which began last month, the official said but added that it would not be correct militarily to rush the campaign. He said Turkey's incursion into Syria could last for years if necessary.
The official said it would not be acceptable to leave the extradition issue of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen in limbo for long after the failed coup, which Ankara accuses the preacher of masterminding.
Turkey and Israel will mutually name ambassadors within 10 days as part of the normalisation of ties, the official said. He also said granting Turks visa-free travel into the European Union should not be postponed to next year and must soon be concluded.