Turkey on Thursday said it had "every right" to intervene if Syrian Kurdish militia do not withdraw as promised by the United States east of the Euphrates River in Syria.

The Syrian Kurdish forces "must move to the east of the Euphrates and Turkey is following this very closely. If this withdrawal doesn't happen, Turkey has every right to intervene," Defence Minister Fikri Isik told NTV television after Ankara launched an operation in Syria on Wednesday aimed both at IS jihadists and Syrian Kurdish forces.