UK Middle East Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa, Alistair Burt, said the withdrawal of American troops from Syria should not affect the fight against the Islamic State, nor result in Turkish incursions against Syrian Kurds.

The Turkish military deployed tanks and armored vehicles to the border province of Hatay on Jan. 13, as Turkey continues its preparations for a planned military operation in the east of River Euphrates in Syria against ISIL and the YPG, which it sees as the Syrian branch of the PKK.

In their third phone call to discuss the Syria situation and impending plans for US withdrawal, US president Donald Trump discussed with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday a framework that would protect Syrian Kurds while preserving Turkey’s security.