ANKARA, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. delegation Monday arrived in Turkey to prepare for a Joint Operations Center on the planned Syrian safe zone, Turkish Defense Ministry said.

A six-person U.S. delegation arrived in Turkey's southern Sanliurfa province, the ministry said in a statement, adding that the Joint Operations Center is expected to activate in the coming days.

Last week, Turkish and U.S. military officials agreed to coordinate and manage a planned safe zone in northern Syria, a move that appeared to reduce the chance of imminent Turkish military incursion.

Turkey threatened to launch an operation in east of the Euphrates River to remove Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara sees as the Syrian branch of the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).