Ankara accuses the Kurdish forces of ties to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) that has waged a decades-long insurgency against Turkey.
It fears the Kurds will be able to create a contiguous Kurdish territory just across the border in northern Syria.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Tuesday accused Kurdish fighters in Syria of being “Russia’s legion working as mercenaries”, with the of harming Turkey’s interests.
Russia’s air strikes have allowed government forces to press a major operation that has virtually encircled rebels in eastern Aleppo city, as well as expelled them from much of the region to the north.
The head of Lebanon’s Shiite movement Hezbollah which has been fighting alongside Assad’s forces, declared Tuesday that “victory” was imminent.
“In the days ahead and for the decade to come… we will proclaim victory alongside the Syrian army,” Hassan Nasrallah said in a video message to supporters in Beirut.
He also accused Saudi Arabia and Turkey of dragging the whole region into a war.
Turkey has been infuriated by the Kurdish advances, focusing its anger on Russia’s air support.
“Those vile, cruel and barbaric planes have made close to 8,000 sorties since September 30 without any discrimination between civilians and soldiers, or children and the elderly,” Davutoglu said.
On the ground, the Observatory said at least 15 civilians were killed in US-led coalition air strikes on the IS-controlled town of Al-Shadadi in Hasakeh province of northeast Syria.
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