Erdogan: Turkey and US 'ready to invade' Isis capital

Folllowing succesful offensives against the terror group in northern Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has suggested Turkish and US forces are ready to push deeper into Isis strongholds

President Erdogan addressed reporters in Ankara on his return from the G20 summit in Hangzhou, China, on Tuesday (AP)

The President of Turkey has said that Turkish troops are ready to work with the US to push further into Isis territory and take on the group in its Syrian capital, Raqqa.

Speaking to media on Tuesday, Recip Erdogan said that US President Barack Obama suggested the possibility of joint military action against the terror organisation during last weekend’s G20 meeting in China.

“Obama wants to do some things together concerning Raqqa in particular,” Erdogan told reporters, referring to Isis’ de facto capital.

Erdogan said Turkey would have “no problem” with the possibility. The US State Department has not commented on the remarks.

Turkish military launched Operation Euphrates Shield last month, driving Isis from the Turkey-Syria border and effectively cutting off one of the group’s major supply corridors. The offensive has continued to seize land from Islamist control. Turkey and its rebel allies now control a 90km stretch on the Syrian side of the border, and are pushing south.

Turkey has also turned its attention to Kurdish rebel groups in the region, reaffirming its stance that all armed forces fighting on the border are “terrorists”, including the US-backed Kurdish YPG militia.

The YPG is affiliated with the PKK, a Turkey-orientated Kurdish group, which has long been designated a terrorist organisation by the Turkish state.

Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has reportedly commented that he is “deeply concerned” by the prospect of further Turkish advances into Syria.