The new administration’s first visit to Ankara comes amid an intensifying struggle for the partition of Syria between the states behind the overthrow of the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad by jihadists led by the al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday urged all countries to "take their hands off" Syria and said Turkey had the capacity and ability to crush all terrorist organisations in the country, including Kurdish militia and Islamic State.

By bnm Gulf bureau Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened military action against militant groups in Syria, particularly Kurds, unless they lay down their arms and disband, Turkish media reported on January 15.