Volkswagen uncertain over opening new factory in Turkey following Syria offensive

German auto major Volkswagen is under uncertainty regarding its decision whether to build a new factory in Turkey over Ankara's operation in northeastern Syria, a spokesman said on Tuesday.

Al Jazeera quoted the spokesperson as saying that the Volkswagen's Board of Directors have delayed the decision despite that an announcement was soon expected on the new factory worth up to 1.5 billion euros ($1.3bn).

"We are carefully observing the present situation and view current developments with concern," the spokesman added.

The opening of the new factory had promised to provide 4,000 jobs.

Turkish troops had last week advanced into the zone controlled by Kurdish militias after the United States announced it was withdrawing its troops from the area, leaving behind the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), its main ally in the battle against the Islamic State or ISIS, without any American military support.

However, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that the offensive aims to remove the Kurdish-led forces from the border area and create a "safe zone" to which millions of Syrian refugees can be returned.