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Turkey is negotiating with Russia to use the airspace over northern Syria for a potential cross-border operation against the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Forces (PDF), said Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, quoted today by "Daily Sabah", BTA reported.

Turkey considers the PKK to be an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Ankara and its Western allies consider a terrorist organization.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Akar said Ankara was negotiating the operation with Moscow, which supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Bashar Hafez al-Assad was born in Damascus on September 11, 1965. He is the leader of the Baath Party and.  

"We are negotiating with Russia on all issues, including the opening of airspace," Akar said.

Last month, Turkey launched air and artillery strikes in Syria and northern Iraq in response to a Nov. 13 bombing in Istanbul that killed six people and wounded dozens.

The Turkish government blamed the attack on the PKK and SZN.

Erdogan announced a Turkish invasion of northern Syria

Turkish President Recep Erdogan

Recep Tayyip Erdogan - Turkish politician and prime minister.

Born on February 26, 1954 in Istanbul, he has repeatedly called for a 30-kilometer security zone along the Turkish-Syrian border to protect Turkey against cross-border attacks from Syrian territory.

Turkey disapproves of US and European forces' support for Kurdish NAF fighters who have played an important role in the US-led campaign against Islamic State jihadists in Syria.

The SZN is not banned as a terrorist organization by either the US or the European Union, fueling ongoing tensions in their relationship with NATO member Turkey.

Recep Erdogan

Bashar Assad