Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday commented on the ongoing Operation Olive Branch launched in Syria’s Afrin.
“Turkey will not take a step back from the Afrin operation, and has an agreement with Russia,” Erdoğan said in a speech in the capital Ankara.
“We struck the first blow against those who want to form a terror corridor along our borders with the Operation Euphrates Shield. It is a matter of eliminating the terror corridor. The U.S. brought 5,000 truckloads of military equipment to this region. This was distributed to terror organizations,” he added.
The president said that Turkey would ensure control of Afrin, as it had done in the Syrian towns of Jarablus, al-Rai and al-Bab, and that Syrians would be able to return home.
Turkish army continues to shell positions of PKK/PYD terror group in Syria's Afrin on the third day of Operation Olive Branch. The military carried out the shelling from Turkey's border province of Kilis in support of the Free Syrian Army, which was conducting a ground operation against terrorists in Afrin.
Turkey shells PYD/PKK targets in Afrin
“Our Syrian brothers and sisters in Turkey will have the opportunity to return to their homes,” he added.
The operation was initiated on Jan. 20 in Afrin to establish security and stability, eliminate terrorists of PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG and Daesh, and save locals from the terrorists’ oppression and cruelty.
“I am declaring that our nation does not have its eyes on the territory of others. Turkey’s aim is to ensure national security and the territorial integrity of Syria,” Erdoğan said.
The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) extended Operation Olive Branch to Syria's Azaz district, east of the Afrin region, on Monday.
A rocket fired from the Syrian region of Afrin struck a Turkish camp where Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters were located near the border on Monday, killing two people and wounding 12, the Doğan news agency reported.As Turkey's operation against the U.S.-backed PYD/PKK terrorists in Afrin entered its third day, the rocket hit the Kırıkhan area of Turkey's Hatay province, Doğan said. It said those killed were believed to be FSA fighters, who are involved in the operation. Turkey's Afrin operation aims to destroy PYD/PKK, DaeshCivilian killed, 46 injured in PYD/PKK attacks in Turkey
Rocket hits Turkish camp near Syrian border, kills two, wounds 12
“Turkey is not against the Kurds in Afrin, but is fighting against the terror organizations there. Afrin is comprised of Arabs, Kurds and Turkmens, but there is also a terrorist organization there. When these terrorist organizations are eliminated from Afrin, our Kurdish, Arab and Turkmen brothers will be the most thankful,” Erdoğan said.
“We are in constant contact with our prime minister, chief of staff and commanders. The Afrin operation will end when it reaches its aims, just as the Operation Euphrates Shield did,” he added.
The president also commented on a missile that hit the Turkish border province of Hatay.
"The attackers will pay a heavy price for this," he said.
Turkish Armed Forces, jointly with the Free Syrian Army (FSA), extended the recently launched Operation Olive Branch on Monday to Azaz district, east of Afrin in Syria.On Saturday, Turkey launched an operation to remove PYD/PKK and Daesh terrorists from Afrin.According to Anadolu Agency correspondents, the Turkish Armed Forces extended the operation to Azaz district using its ground forces.A number of FSA members are reportedly participating in the operation.Galeri: Turkey's Operation Olive Branch in Syria's AfrinSeparately, Turkish jets hit terrorist targets at Bursaya Mount in Afrin, which holds strategic importance and provides physical protection to terrorists.The terror group uses the Bursaya Mount to target civilians in center of Kilis province of Turkey and Azaz district of Syria through mortar shells, artillery and missiles.Video: Footage emerges of Turkish army’s operation in Syria’s AzazElimination of terrorists from Bursaya Mount, will help Turkey decrease terror threats at its border and protect civilians in Syria.The Turkish forces at the border are targeting PYD/PKK camps in the villages of Jalama, Himdia, Hajlar, Fraria and Tal Sallur.PYD/PKK's social media propaganda: 4 photos, 4 liesThe FSA and Turkish forces have already seized 11 targets in Afrin from the terrorist group.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 to Syria's territorial integrity, it said.The military also said "utmost importance" is being given to not harm any civilian.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's Afrin operation aims to destroy PYD/PKK, DaeshKremlin says in touch with Ankara over Afrin operationNATO deputy secretary general arrives in Ankara
Turkey's Operation Olive Branch extends east of Afrin
The black propaganda of PKK/PYD members and their supporters continued throughout the weekend on social media against the Turkish military and Operation Olive Branch in Syria's Afrin.Four photographs, which were claimed to be taken during the operation in Syria’s northwestern Afrin region, have turned out to be old photos that were taken during different incidents in the past.Black propaganda against the Turkish military began soon after Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch in Afrin on Saturday to clear PYD/PKK and Daesh terrorists from the region.One of the two tank photos shared on Twitter claimed the "tanks belonging to the Turkish army have been burned"; however, the picture was from Yemen taken on Dec. 31, 2016.Turkey's Afrin operation aims to destroy PYD/PKK, DaeshThe other tank picture with the same claim, dated Dec. 10, 2017, was used in a report titled "The U.S. could lose its power in a possible war with Russia and China".Another image which shows a soldier on a stretcher was shared with the allegation that the "YPG hurt Turkish soldier" on Facebook; however, this image too is incorrect since it belongs to a soldier who suffered food poisoning in western Manisa province on Dec. 22, 2017.The fourth picture shared on Twitter claims "Turkish soldiers taken prisoner in Afrin". But again this was untrue since the photo was originally taken from the news titled "Syrian opponents seized Hizbullah team" on Feb. 23, 2015.Also, on Sunday three photographs, shared by pro-PKK/PYD accounts on social media which were claimed to be taken during Turkey’s operation in Syria’s northwestern Afrin region, turned out to be old photos that were captured during different past incidents.Galeri: Turkey's Operation Olive Branch in Syria's AfrinAll the claims were false and the pictures were actually captured before the Operation Olive Branch began.Some social media accounts which posted false images of different events later were shut down and their posts were removed.The PKK terror group has given instructions to its supporters to post false images ahead of the United Nations General Assembly meeting, claiming that "civilians are being targeted".The Turkish General Staff asserted that the aim of the Afrin operation is to establish security and stability along Turkish borders and the region and protect the Syrian people from the oppression and cruelty of terrorists.Old photos being used to discredit Afrin OperationThe operation was 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 to Syria's territorial integrity, the military added.It also said only terrorist targets were being destroyed and "utmost importance" was being given to not harm any civilian.The PYD/PKK is the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terrorist group, which has been designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU.
PYD/PKK's social media propaganda: 4 photos, 4 lies
Turkey has launched Operation Olive Branch in Syria’s Afrin to fight against PYD/PKK and Daesh terror groups, Deputy Prime Minister Recep Akdağ said on Monday.Talking to reporters in border province of Kilis after a meeting with representatives of political parties as well as nongovernmental organizations, Akdağ said: “The Republic of Turkey, through rights enshrined under international law, has launched this campaign to fight against terror organization PYD/YPG and Daesh, [as well as] to protect both our country and brothers in neighboring country.“A number of [terror] attacks have targeted Kilis before this operation began. Terror organizations have hurt the lives of people in Kilis as well as their property.”The deputy premier said Turkey is a powerful country and will not allow this.Galeri: Turkey’s ‘Operation Olive Branch’ in Syria's AfrinHe also said compensation would be given to those whose houses or workplaces had been damaged by rockets.On Saturday, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch to remove PYD/PKK and Daesh terrorists from Syria’s 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.PKK/PYD terrorists smuggle own relatives out of Afrin, block civilians from leavingThe operation was 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 to Syria's territorial integrity, it said.The military also said "utmost importance" was being given to not harm any civilian.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 arrests 24 for PYD/PKK promotion on social mediaOperation in Syria to have very limited impact on Turkish economy
Turkey's Afrin operation aims to destroy PYD/PKK, Daesh