Belgium: EU 'ready' to ratify Brexit deal before October 31 deadline - EP Pres. Sassoli

W/S Press conference starting, Brussels
SOT, David Sassoli, President of European Parliament (Italian): "We are ready. The European Parliament has the last word, but the one before is pending. Today, I repeat, there is the decision of the Council, Saturday will be Westminster, and from Monday on will be EU Parliament's turn. We are ready to do our duty, which is to examine the text and naturally to organise the procedure so that the deadline is respected." *MULTIPLE SHOTS AT SOURCE*
M/S Master of conference speaking to journalists *CUTAWAY*
SOT, David Sassoli, President of European Parliament (Italian): "You know that the public opinion is very preoccupied and attentive to what is happening at the border between Turkey and Syria, we consider it an act of war. We want this military operation to cease. We want and we are asking the EU to adopt a politico-diplomatic initiative, we have a possibility to do it."
W/S End of press conference
SCRIPT
The President of the European Parliament David Sassoli commented on Brexit and the Turkish operation in Syria while speaking to the press in Brussels on Thursday.
"We are ready," announced Sassoli speaking of the parliament readiness to ratify the Brexit deal before the October 31 deadline.
"We are ready to do our duty, which is to examine the text and naturally to organise the procedure so that the deadline is respected," he added.
Commenting on the Turkish incursion in Syria, Sassoli slammed it as "an act of war".
"We want this military operation to cease. We want and we are asking the EU to adopt a politico-diplomatic initiative," he added.
Earlier on Thursday, the EU and the UK announced they had reached a Brexit deal. If ratified by the UK parliament, the deal will be implemented the very next day on November 1.