Türkiye expects the United States and Russia to abide by the previous agreements on the removal of terrorists threatening Turkish borders in Syria, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said Thursday.

Speaking in a televised interview, Akar pointed to Ankara's deals with Washington and Russia and said that these two counties should follow their obligations.

"Abuses and harassment from the region of Tal Abyad and Manbij have increased recently. That area has almost turned into a terror nest. We have responded harshly without any hesitation when such abuse and attack attempts occurred and we will so," he said.

When asked about the possible anti-terror operation against Syria, Akar emphasized that there is no place for terrorists in the region and that they will not remain indifferent and inactive against what will be done.

Türkiye is determined to clear the last "terror nests" in Syria, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Monday.

Addressing the diplomats who attended the 13th Ambassadors Conference in the Turkish capital Ankara, Erdoğan said: "Hopefully, we will unite the rings of this security belt soon by clearing the last areas where the terrorist organization is nesting in Syria."

"We will continue our fight against terrorism. Our decision to establish a 30-kilometer-deep secure line along our southern border remains," he underlined.

The PKK terrorist group's Syrian branch YPG controls large parts of northern Syria and is regarded by Washington as an important ally against Daesh despite its NATO ally Türkiye's major security concerns and warnings.

Erdoğan has recently said that Türkiye's plan for a new military operation in northern Syria will be on the table as long as the YPG continues to pose a security threat to his country.

In May, Erdoğan announced plans for a new military operation in Syria to drive away the YPG, an extension of the PKK terrorist group. The plans include resuming Turkish efforts to create a 30-kilometer (20-mile) safe zone along the border with Syria and enabling the voluntary return of Syrian refugees from Türkiye.

Türkiye has launched three major cross-border operations into Syria since 2016 and already controls some territories in the north. Turkish-backed operations in previous years have ousted the YPG and Daesh terrorists from the northwestern enclave of Afrin and a series of border towns further east. Since 2016, Ankara has launched a trio of successful counterterrorism operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018) and Peace Spring (2019).

Erdoğan has said that since the United States and Russia have failed to live up to their commitments to provide a safe zone along the border region, Türkiye is ready to mount an operation to protect the nation and locals in northern Syria from the YPG. In October 2019, Russia committed to removing the terrorist group from Tal Rifaat and Manbij after reaching an agreement with Türkiye during Operation Peace Spring. Moscow also promised that the terrorists would be pulled back 30 kilometers from the border on the M4 highway and in the area outside the Operation Peace Spring zone.

Ties with Greece

Akar also touched upon the renewed tensions with the neighbor and NATO ally Greece. Despite Türkiye's constant dialogue calls, some politicians in Greece continue to increase their provocative actions and rhetoric for their own agendas, he said.

Türkiye is a strong, reliable and efficient ally and this should be known by everyone, Akar said, adding: "We wish the Aegean and the Mediterranean to be a sea of ​​friendship for peace and stability."

Türkiye has ended the joint mechanism with Greece over the hostile remarks of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the country’s inconsistent stance on dialogue efforts. In May, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Mitsotakis "no longer exists" for him after the latter’s remarks and criticism of Türkiye during his recent trip to the United States. Erdoğan said Mitsotakis spoke against Türkiye and urged the U.S. Congress not to allow F-16 fighter jets to be sold to Ankara.

Ankara has also said Athens has to start disarming demilitarized islands in the Aegean. Türkiye is demanding that Greece demilitarize its eastern islands, maintaining action is required under 20th-century treaties that ceded sovereignty of the islands to Greece. The Greek government calls the demand a deliberate misinterpretation and has accused Türkiye, a fellow NATO member, of stepping up hostile actions in the area.

Türkiye and Greece are at odds over a number of issues, including competing claims over jurisdiction in the Eastern Mediterranean, air space, energy, the ethnically split island of Cyprus and the status of the islands in the Aegean Sea.

A dispute over drilling rights for potential oil and gas deposits in the Eastern Mediterranean led to a tense naval standoff in the summer of 2020. Greece has since embarked on a major military modernization program.

But the two countries also cooperate on energy projects, including a newly built pipeline that transports natural gas from Azerbaijan to Western Europe. The pipeline, which crosses Türkiye and Greece, is part of Europe's effort to reduce dependence on Russian energy.

Türkiye, which has the longest continental coastline in the Eastern Mediterranean, has rejected maritime boundary claims by Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, stressing that their excessive claims violate the sovereign rights of Türkiye and the Turkish Cypriots.

Turkish leaders have repeatedly stressed that Ankara is in favor of resolving outstanding problems in the region through international law, good neighborly relations, dialogue and negotiations.

Officials from both countries resumed exploratory talks in 2021 after a five-year pause to lay the groundwork for formal negotiations to begin but haven’t made much progress.