Second stage of Operation Euphrates Shield to include Iraq and Syria, Erdoğan says

President Tayyip Erdoğan signalled on Tuesday that the second and third stage of Operation Euphrates Shield would be more extensive than the first, and would include Iraqi and Syrian territories still held by terrorists.

Speaking in a televised interview with NTV, the president said that although the 2nd and 3rd stages hadn't been named yet, the operations would have an Iraqi dimension as well.

"There is Talafar, there is Sinjar. We have kin in Mosul," he added, referring to Turkmens in the region.

Erdoğan also touched upon the Kirkuk issue, one of Iraq's disputed territories, and said that Iraqi Kurds's move to hoist the Kurdish flag over goverment buildings in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk was unacceptable.

"The fact that a second flag was raised in Kirkuk seems like an occupation attempt to me. We all know that Kirkuk is a Turkmen town," he said.