MOSCOW. Oct 15 (Interfax) - The Russian Defense Ministry has denied allegations that Moscow discussed the prospect of the Turkish military operation spreading into the Syrian city of Kobani with the Turkish side.
"Expansion of the Turkish Operation Peace Spring into the Syrian city of Kobani was not discussed at the talks with the Turkish colleagues," the ministry said in a statement.
"Such media reports are wrong," it said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that Turkey-backed Syrian forces were preparing to take over Manbij and Kobani.
"We feel resolute about Manbij. The opposition forces will enter it soon," the Turkish media quoted Erdogan as saying. The president said that Turkey is coordinating its operation in northern Syria with Russia and that there are no problems with Moscow.
"There will be no problems in Kobani [a city in northern Syria]. We are coordinating our actions with Russia," Erdogan said.
The Syrian state-run news agency SANA, in turn, said on Monday evening that the Syrian army had entered Manbij in the north of the Aleppo province. Media outlets close to Syrian Kurds said earlier that Syrian government troops were already in Manbij.