Turkey Takes Utmost Care To Protect Civilians In Afrin, Erdoğan Says
06 February 2018Anadolu Agency
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Friday that Turkey takes utmost care to
make sure that civilians are not affected by the ongoing Operation Olive
Branch in Syria's Afrin targeting the PKK-linked People's Protection Units (YPG)
terrorist group.
Addressing a party meeting in the capital, Erdoğan highlighted that Turkey has
no interest in invading another country, unlike others who have been carrying
out military interventions for almost over two decades in Afghanistan and in
Libya.
Erdoğan noted that Turkey aims to secure its border and clear terrorists off
the Syrian-Turkish borders, as the terrorist group has been advancing and
posing a threat to Turkey's national security, which many partners turned a
blind eye to.
'Turkey will take matters into its own hands in the fight against terror if
others do not cooperate,' Erdoğan said, adding that Afrin operation is a
'clear warning' to those who don't want to understand Turkey's determination
in the fight against terrorism.
The president also noted that Turkey's operation will also focus on Syria's
Manbij after Afrin is cleared.
'Arabs are the rightful owners of Manbij, not YPG/PYD terrorists,' Erdoğan
said.
The operation in Afrin - bordering Turkey's Hatay and Kilis provinces - was
widely expected in the wake of Turkey's Operation Euphrates Shield in northern
Syria, which cleared Daesh terrorists from Turkey's border between Aug. 24,
2016, and March 2017.
Afrin has been a major hideout for the YPG/PKK since July 2012 when the Assad
regime in Syria left the city to the terror group without putting up a fight.
President Erdoğan visits, inspects Afrin operation base in southern Hatay
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday visited and inspected Turkish
military units in southern Hatay province bordering northwestern Syria's
Afrin, as the Operation Olive Branch targeting PKK/PYD/YPG and Daesh
terrorists in the Afrin region continues.
Erdoğan, accompanied by Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar, visited the
operation base on the sixth day of the ongoing Afrin counter-terror operation.
Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ, Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli and Land
Forces Commander of the Turkish Armed Forces Gen. Yaşar Güler were also
present during the high-profile visit.
Due to the president's surprise trip to Hatay, a previously-planned meeting
between Erdoğan and Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım was postponed, media
sources said.
According to the Turkish General Staff, the Operation Olive Branch aims to
establish security and stability along Turkish borders and in the region, as
well as to protect Syrian people from the oppression and cruelty of
terrorists.
The operation is being carried out under the framework of Turkey's rights
within international law, U.N. Security Council resolutions, its right to
self-defense under the U.N. charter and respect for Syria's territorial
integrity, it said.
The military also said 'utmost importance' is being placed on not harming any
civilians.
The operation in Afrin - bordering Turkey's Hatay and Kilis provinces - was
widely expected in the wake of Turkey's Operation Euphrates Shield in northern
Syria, which cleared Daesh terrorists from Turkey's border between Aug. 24,
2016, and March 2017.
Afrin has been a major hideout for the YPG/PKK since July 2012 when the Assad
regime in Syria left the city to the terror group without putting up a fight.
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