Turkey and the United States have reached an agreement to create an ISIS-free safe zone near the Turkish border in northern Syria, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in Istanbul before departing for China on Tuesday. He pointed out that Turkey will not step back in its fight against terrorist groups, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and the PKK, and that the process will proceed "with determination." "The same way ISIS is a terrorist organization, the PKK, which claims to fight ISIS, is also a terrorist organization," the president said, emphasizing that all terrorist organizations are the same, as they threaten the national security of states and the safety of the people. He said that the fight against terrorist organizations was not an ordinary struggle for reputation and that the state will utilize all its facilities to defeat the groups. Commenting on a possible huge refugee influx in the event ISIS takes control of Aleppo, the president said, "The establishment of a 'safe zone' will pave way for the return of 1.7 million Syrian refugees from Turkey." "The goal is to establish an ISIS-free zone and ensure greater security and stability along Turkey's border with Syria," a U.S. official said during President Barack Obama's trip to Addis Ababa on Monday.The U.S. has long rejected Turkey's and other's requests for a no-fly zone to halt Syrian government air raids, fearing it would draw U.S. forces further into the civil war. However, Ankara demanded that the U.S.-led coalition create a safe zone, a no-fly zone and a program to train and equip moderate Syrian opposition to fight both ISIS and the Assad regime.Turkish warplanes started striking ISIS targets last week, following a long-awaited agreement allowing the U.S. to launch its own strikes from Turkey's strategically located Incirlik Air Base. It was not immediately clear how an ISIS-free zone would be established along the Turkish-Syrian border. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said Turkey and the United States had no plans to send ground troops into Syria but wanted to see Syria's moderate opposition forces replace ISIS near the Turkish border. A Turkish official said Turkey and the U.S. were discussing "the formation of a de-facto safe zone" that would facilitate the return of Syrian refugees from Turkey. He said Turkey was prepared to provide all the necessary assistance to the zone, including "air support."President Erdoğan also said that it was no longer possible to proceed with the reconciliation process that aimed to end the conflict with the PKK. "The reconciliation process was undertaken with the government's good intentions, but it is not possible to continue with those who target brotherhood," he told reporters.The government says ending the process will only cut dialogue with the terrorist group but democratization steps for the country's Kurds will continue. Beşir Atalay, a spokesman for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), says the reconciliationprocess can restart when PKK withdraw from Turkish territory and lay down arms. Atalay said: "It can resume from where it stopped, but until we reach that point, there will be a pause."In response to recent demands to close the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), he said that he opposes party closures, but encouraged Parliament to lift the political immunity of deputies who have links to terrorist organizations such as the PKK. HDP politicians have been accused of supporting the PKK, which is recognized as a terrorist organization by the U.S., EU and Turkey.Recently, Abdullah Zeydan, who is a deputy from the HDP, threatened Turkey by saying that the PKK terrorist organization has the power to "suffocate Turkey with its spit."Turkey stepped up efforts against terrorism following a suspected ISIS bomb attack carried out last Monday in the country's southeastern Şanlıurfa province that killed 32 people and injured dozens. Two policemen were killed in retaliation on Wednesday, for which the PKK claimed responsibility.On Thursday, gunfire from Syria killed a Turkish military officer and injured two soldiers in southern Kilis province, prompting Turkish forces to return fire. Furthermore, a gendarmerie commander on Monday and a non-commissioned officer on Tuesday were killed by the terrorist group when they were not on duty. Since the killing of the two officers while they were asleep in their flat, Turkey has initiated a nationwide anti-terror operation, detaining over 1,000 suspects with ties to ISIS as well as the PKK terrorist organization.The Turkish Air Force has also been carrying out airstrikes against the PKK in northern Iraq and ISIS militants in northern Syria. Turkey's NATO ally – the U.S. – strongly condemned the PKK's recent terrorist attacks and called on the organization to renounce terrorism and re-engage in peace talks with Turkey in a statement released Saturday night.