Turkey will set up dozen observation posts across northeast Syria: Erdogan

Turkey will set up a dozen observation posts across northeast Syria, President Tayyip Erdogan (pictured) said on Friday, insisting that a planned “safe zone” will extend much further than US officials said was covered under a fragile ceasefire deal.

Less than 24 hours after he agreed the five-day truce to allow Kurdish forces time to pull back from Turkey’s crossborder assault, Erdogan underlined Ankara’s continued ambition to establish a presence along 300 miles of territory inside Syria.

On the border itself shelling could be heard near the Syrian town of Ras al Ain on Friday morning despite Thursday’s deal, and a spokesman