Turkish-backed Syrian rebel fighters head to area near Syrian-Turkish border Convoy of Turkish-backed Syrian rebel fighters head to an area near the Syrian-Turkish border north of Aleppo after US forces in northern Syria started pulling back from areas along the Turkish border. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey was poised to launch a military operation against Kurdish forces in northern Syria, after US President Donald Trump gave him the green light. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES