Turkish-backed rebels close to taking Syria's al Bab, Erdogan says

Turkish-backed rebels are just 2km from the northern Syrian city of al Bab and are expected to take it from Islamic State quickly despite some resistance, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.

According to Reuters news agency, the rebels said on Tuesday that they had taken Qabasin, several kilometres northeast of al Bab, to set the stage for an onslaught on the last urban stronghold of Islamic State in the northern Aleppo countryside. Kurdish-dominated militias have also been pursuing a drive to seize al Bab, Reuters reported.

At a news conference before departing on a trip to Pakistan, Erdogan also accused Germany of not being fully committed to the fight against terrorism and of supporting the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group.

He also said that an executive presidential system in Turkey, which he has long sought, should not mean the president cutting ties to his political party, saying that would constitute a weakness in the system.