Turkey asked the United States to keep the Kurdish YPG militia from entering the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa, adding it was ready to provide military support to take over the Syrian town, Defence Minister Fikri Isik told TRT Haber on Thursday.

The top U.S. military commander said on Wednesday that Kurdish YPG fighters would be included as a part of the force to isolate the Islamic State-held Syrian city of Raqqa. Turkey strongly opposes any Kurdish formation in the region.

Earlier on Thursday, President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey's military operation in northern Syria will target the town of Manbij, recently liberated from Islamic State by Kurdish-led forces, and Raqqa after the town of al-Bab.