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In the Kurdish region of Syria, men bury the bodies of people killed in an airstrike by Turkey
Photo: Ahmed Mardnli/EPA
Turkey is continuing its fight against the Kurds in Syria: According to activists, two Kurdish fighters were killed and three others seriously injured in a drone attack on a military base on Tuesday.
The base is used jointly by the US-led international coalition and Kurdish fighters, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.
Offensives against the "Islamic State" (IS) are being launched from the base near the city of Hasakah.
Erdoğan mentions the use of ground forces
Since Sunday, Turkey has been flying attacks on Kurdish militia positions in Syria and Iraq, which it blames for an attack on November 13 in central Istanbul.
Ankara is attacking targets in regions controlled by the Syrian Kurdish militia YPG.
Turkey sees the YPG as an offshoot of the banned Kurdish Workers' Party PKK.
The PKK is also considered a terrorist organization in Germany, while the YPG is not.
The US sees the YPG as a partner in the fight against IS.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan then said on Monday that he was also considering deploying ground forces in the neighboring country.
The operation on the ground could begin soon, he announced on Tuesday: "We have flown over the terrorists for a few days with our air force and our drones.
God willing, we will soon eliminate them with our soldiers, cannons and tanks," Erdoğan said in a speech in northeastern Turkey.
During her visit to Ankara, Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser called on Turkey to prevent an escalation of violence.
Germany stands by Turkey's side in the fight against terrorism, "but the reaction must be proportionate," said Faeser at a meeting with her Turkish counterpart Süleyman Soylu.
She urged compliance with international law and the protection of civilians.
The Turkish offensive in Syria began a few days after the attack in Istanbul that killed six, for which Ankara blamed the PKK.
The PKK and the Syrian Kurds deny any involvement in the attack.
muk/dpa
