A written statement from Washington came hours after a phone call between Erdoğan and Trump Sunday evening as Turkey continued preparations for an operation in northern Syria.

"Turkey will soon be moving forward with its long-planned operation into Northern Syria," the statement read, adding that the United States Armed Forces will not support or be involved in the operation.

"United States forces, having defeated the ISIS territorial "Caliphate," will no longer be in the immediate area," it said.

It has stated that the United States Government has pressed France, Germany, and other European nations, from which many captured ISIS fighters came, to take them back, but they did not want them and refused.

"The United States will not hold them for what could be many years and great cost to the United States taxpayer. Turkey will now be responsible for all ISIS fighters in the area captured over the past two years in the wake of the defeat of the territorial "Caliphate" by the United States," the statement concluded.

ILKHA