Russia, US failed to clear militia from Syria border

Turkey’s foreign minister charged Friday that the United States and Russia have failed to meet promises to clear Syria’s border with Turkey from Kurdish militants, forcing Ankara to intervene.
Speaking at the Mediterranean Dialogues forum in Rome, Italy, Mevlut Cavusoglu also said Turkey was seeking reconciliation with Syria’s government to facilitate the return of refugees, cooperate in fighting extremists and end the conflict in Syria.
Cavusoglu’s comments came after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed last month to launch a new land invasion of northern Syria to target militant Kurdish groups, following a Nov. 13 explosion in Istanbul that killed six people. The Turkish military has launched a barrage of airstrikes on suspected militant targets in northern Syria and Iraq in retaliation.
The Kurdish groups have denied involvement in the bombing and say Turkish strikes have killed civilians and are threatening the fight against the Islamic State group.