At least 343 PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG and Daesh terrorists have been "neutralized" since the beginning of Operation Olive Branch
At least 343 PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG and Daesh terrorists have been "neutralized" since the beginning of Operation Olive Branch in northwestern Afrin region of Syria, the military said Friday.
Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralized" in their statements to imply that the terrorists in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.
Turkish Armed Forces also destroyed 23 targets -- among them weapon pits, shelters, and ammunition depots -- of the PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG and Daesh terrorists Thursday night, the Turkish General Staff said in a statement.
The military reiterated that it was showing utmost care to not harm any civilians during the operation.
"The only things being targeted are terrorists, and any shelters, pits, weapons, vehicles, and equipment that belong to them," it said.
Operation Olive Branch is "successfully continuing as planned", the military added.
Turkey on Saturday launched Operation Olive Branch to remove PYD/PKK and Daesh terrorists from Afrin.
According to the Turkish General Staff, the operation aims to establish security and stability along Turkish borders and the region as well as to protect the Syrian people from the oppression and cruelty of terrorists.
The operation is being carried out under the framework of Turkey’s rights based on international law, UN Security Council’s decisions, self-defense rights under the UN charter and respect for Syria's territorial integrity.
Afrin has been a major hideout for the PYD/PKK since July 2012 when the Assad regime in Syria left the city to the terror group without putting up a fight.
Turkey has the right to self-defense like all other countries, NATO’s secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, said as Turkey continues targeting terrorist positions in northern Syria.Speaking at a joint news conference with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in Madrid on Thursday, Stoltenberg said: "Turkey suffered most from terrorist attacks over many years.”“And Turkey, as all countries, has the right to self-defense,” he said.Stoltenberg highlighted that this needed to be done “in a proportionate and measured way”.“That is the message I convey every time I discuss this issue with different NATO leaders including the political leadership in Turkey.”Rocket from Syria's Afrin hits Turkish border cityPentagon says not in crisis with Turkey amid Afrin op.State Department Spokesperson calls YPG 'the PKK'Turkey on Saturday launched Operation Olive Branch to remove PYD/PKK and Daesh terrorists from the city of Afrin.According to the Turkish General Staff, the ongoing operation aims to establish security and stability along Turkey’s borders and the region as well as to protect Syrians from the oppression and cruelty of terrorists.The operation is being carried out under the framework of Turkey’s rights based on international law, UN Security Council resolutions, its self-defense rights under the UN Charter and respect for Syria's territorial integrity, it said.The military also said "utmost importance" is being put on not harming civilians.Afrin has been a major hideout for the PYD/PKK since July 2012 when the regime of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad left the city to the terror group without putting up a fight.Stoltenberg recalled his phone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan last week and urged for “direct contacts” between Turkey and the United States to find the best way to address the challenges in northern Syria.The U.S. supports the PYD/PKK, considered by Ankara as the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terror organization that has waged a more than 30-year war against the Turkish state. The terror campaign has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, including those of women and children.Video: 'Turkey is doing its best to clear terror'American support for the terror group has long vexed Ankara as Washington views the PYD/PKK-led umbrella group, SDF, as a "reliable partner" in its fight against Daesh and continues to provide it with arms and equipment in the face of strong objections from Turkey.
NATO chief says Turkey has right to self-defense
The Pentagon said on Thursday that there was no crisis between Turkey and the U.S. amid the Turkish Operation Olive Branch in Afrin, Syria.“We're not in a crisis, we're -- Turkey is an ally, and we're going to work with them,” the Pentagon’s chief spokesperson Dana White told reporters.“But this current -- this current issue, […], is a distraction. And we have to focus as allies and -- on the mission at hand, and that's defeating ISIS,” said White using a different acronym for terrorist group Daesh.On the question about possible safe zones along the Syrian border, White said that Turkey has “legitimate security concerns”.“We're going to continue to engage with them,” she added.Joint Staff Director Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, who was also with White during the briefing, said: “Clearly we continue to talk to Turks about the possibility of a secure zone, whatever you want to call it. We've looked at that for a couple of years in various different iterations, and -- and no final decision on it yet.”Video: 'Turkey is doing its best to clear terror'McKenzie added that the Turkish operation in Afrin would make it “hard to focus on why we are in Syria, which is the defeat of Daesh.”He echoed White’s comments saying, “Turkey has a legitimate national security interest and they are very close to the problem.”He added: “We haven't trained or provided equipment for any of the Kurds that are in the Afrin pocket. You know we tend to -- we're focused on the Euphrates River Valley, operations to the south and to the east.”The U.S. has supported the PYD/PKK -- considered by Ankara as the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terror organization that has waged a more than 30-year war against the Turkish state. The terror campaign has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.American support for the terror group has long vexed Ankara as Washington views the PYD/PKK-led umbrella group SDF as a "reliable partner" in its fight against Daesh and continues to provide it with arms and equipment in the face of strong objections by Turkey.On Saturday, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch to clear PYD/PKK and Daesh terrorists from Afrin, northwestern Syria.According to the military, the operation aims to establish security and stability along Turkish borders and the region as well as protect Syrians from terrorist oppression and cruelty.The operation is being carried out under the framework of Turkey's rights based on international law, UN Security Council resolutions, its self-defense rights under the UN charter, and respect for Syria's territorial integrity, it said.The military has also said it is putting "utmost importance" on not harming any civilians.Afrin has been a major hideout for the PYD/PKK since July 2012, when the Assad regime in Syria left the city to the terror group without putting up a fight.State Department Spokesperson calls YPG 'the PKK'
Pentagon says not in crisis with Turkey amid Afrin op.