The Turkish army needs only a few days to prepare for a ground invasion in northern Syria. Such a decision could be made at a cabinet meeting on Monday, Reuters reported, citing Turkish officials.

"The Turkish Armed Forces needs just a few days to become almost fully ready," one senior official said, adding that Turkey-allied Syrian rebel fighters were ready for such an operation just a few days after the Nov. 13 Istanbul bomb.

"It won't take long for the operation to begin," he said. "It depends only on the president giving the word."

President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey will begin the ground operation when it is convenient.

"All the preparations are complete. It's now a political decision," another Turkish official told Reuters, also requesting anonymity ahead of the meeting.

The first Turkish official said a ground operation targeting the areas of Manbij, Kobani and Tel Rifat was inevitable to link the areas taken under Turkish and Syrian allies' control to the incursions since 2016.

According to the source, Ankara has been in contact with Moscow and Washington about its military activities.