Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, addressing his ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party on Tuesday, slammed the latest statement by U.S. Secretary of State, in which Washington expressed its “deep concerns” about the situation in Syria’s Afrin, following the success of Turkey’s Operation Olive Branch in the northwestern Syrian region.
“Washington says ‘we’re concerned’ about Afrin. Where were you when we told you about our concerns? Where were you when we said ‘Come, let’s clear this place from terror organizations?’ You said you were clearing Daesh when you were cooperating with a terror organization,” he said
Operation Olive Branch was initiated on Jan. 20 in Afrin to establish security and stability, eliminate PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG and Daesh terrorists, and save locals from their oppression and cruelty.
“You say “you’re our strategic partner” and then you cooperate with terrorists. This is a fact. If you were our strategic partner, you would have respected us and coordinated with us. You then tried to deceive us. You sent over 5,000 truckloads of weapons, maybe more. You made 2,000 deliveries of munitions. We requested weapons from you [to buy] with money, but you refused. Yet, you sent these arms to a terror organization for free. What kind of partnership is this?” asked Erdoğan.
As life returns to normal in the Afrin city center following Turkey’s Operation Olive Branch, members of the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) went house to house, distributing humanitarian aid to families after assessing their needs.Efforts are still ongoing to clear the city entirely of any terror elements that may be still hiding in Afrin.Video: Turkish soldiers distribute humanitarian aid to Afrin residentsConcealed booby-traps deactivatedEfforts are underway to remove all mines and improvised explosives that were planted by Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorists with the intention of targeting civilians.Specialized teams neutralized booby-traps by carrying out controlled-detonation of mines after pinpointing their exact locations.Civilians have also routinely notified the TAF and FSA about any suspicious looking packages or traps that they encounter.Aid being distributedAs security reigns in the city, Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) increased their humanitarian efforts by going door-to-door in the Afrin’s center as they distribute aid to those in need, by inquiring about the number of family members residing in each house, and assessing their needs accordingly.Galeri: Turkish soldiers distribute food to local residents in AfrinAfrin residents return homeAfrin residents who were forced to flee to Azaz under PKK/PYD terror began to return to their homes following the success of Turkey’s Operation Olive Branch.Close to 200,000 Afrin residents are expected to return to the region after peace and security has been provided by Turkey’s operation.Video: PKK/PYG armory exposedResidents hand over terrorists to TAFResidents of Afrin on Monday handed over three PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG terrorists to Turkish troops carrying out efforts to normalize life in the region in the wake of the liberation of the town center.Turkish troops and Free Syrian Army fighters took control of the town center on Sunday as part of Operation Olive Branch which was launched on Jan. 20 to clear the area of YPG/PKK-Daesh terrorists.U.S. concern The U.S. expressed its concern after PKK/PYD terrorists it had armed fled Afrin without showing any resistance. The U.S. Secretary of State published a statement on its website saying that Washington is “deeply concerned” by the news coming out of Afrin, claiming that the operation could “damage the fight against Daesh,” prompting Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hami Aksoy to respond by saying “The U.S. has still not comprehended the reason for the operation. Operation Olive Branch is a fight against terror.”Food aid from AFADAfter the region was cleared from terrorists, Turkish civil organizations began distributing humanitarian aid to Afrin residents who began to return to their towns and villages.Nine new camps are being set up in the region by the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency of Turkey (AFAD), which, when complete, will house 170,000 Afrin residents.PKK’s armory decked with NATO weapons'Civilians, cultural sites inviolable for Turkish army’‘Terrorists flee Afrin without showing resistance’
Turkish troops go door to door, distributing aid to Afrin residents
An armory consisting of 13 chambers in line with NATO standards was unearthed in Afrin’s city center, which was captured by the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) and Free Syrian Army (FSA) early on Sunday as part of Operation Olive Branch, which was launched on Jan. 20 to clear the area of YPG/PKK-Daesh terrorists.The TAF and FSA are continuing to detect the terrorist organization’s tunnel networks and armories. A giant armory located just outside Afrin on the skirts of a hill and covered in olive trees was spotted.Yeni Şafak daily obtained exclusive footage of the armory, which stowed advanced arms and munitions including TOW missiles, SUV-23 munitions, DShk heavy machine guns and mines.Built underground and of thick concrete walls, the armory was designed according to NATO standards. It is about 200 square meters in size and has 13 chambers. Trucks can easily enter.Ventilation vents are spread across the ceilings and there are cages that prevent birds from entering, in addition to reservoirs on the ground that collect rain water. The armory would require planning and engineering skills beyond that of a terrorist organization.Preparations for clashes targeting TurkeyYeni Şafak and TVNET Editor-In-Chief İbrahim Karagül was among the first journalists to enter the armory.“What we saw really surprised us. It is clear that the preparations being made were not to defend Afrin. This building was not prepared as an armory for the terror group, and it is proof that countries who back terror were preparing not only for Syria,” said Karagül about the armory. “Preparations for conflict within NATO were made. An important portion of military planning methods of NATO against Turkey, which is a NATO member, were implemented here. What we saw is proof that this preparation was against Turkey,” he added.Karagül also described the vast array of arms and munitions inside the armory.“For the first time, it is possible to see massive buildups [of arms and munitions] inside an armory that was viewed by a journalist. We saw advanced weapons including TOW missiles, SUV-23 munitions, DShk heavy machine guns and mines stashed away in hundreds of chests, barrels and cases,” said Karagül.Mostly U.S.-madeThe source of the millions of stashed bullets found in the armory can be traced to multiple countries, however the majority are made in the United States.“In addition to Russian weapons and ammunition, there are munitions that point to the Syrian regime and have text in Arabic on them. There are also Iranian guns and ammunitions stored in another chamber,” said Karagül.“This underground armory in no way holds the munitions of a terror group. Everything from the construction of the armory to the variety and type of the ammunition was prepared for a war between states,” he added.Terrorists fled“The two metal chests we saw were constructed in accordance with NATO standards, and the fuses inside were again protected in accordance with NATO standards. The extent of the international operation Turkey’s Afrin op dealt a blow to can be seen by looking at this underground armory,” said Karagül.“Afrin was going to be decked with an army of thousands and the greatest evidence of the arms and munitions shipments is this armory that spans underground like a metro line. Despite international support, the PKK/PYD and the forces among them fled and left behind their weapons without resisting the TAF and FSA,” he added.‘Terrorists flee Afrin without showing resistance’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.The U.S has supplied the PKK/PYD terror organization with more than 5,000 truckloads of weapons to allegedly use in the fight against Daesh, despite Ankara’s warnings that the group is the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terror organization.The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union and the United States. The PKK has been conducting armed violence in the southeastern part of Turkey since 1984. More than 40,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the three-decade long conflict.48 rockets hit Turkey's Kilis during Afrin operationPKK terror attack kills villager in eastern TurkeyTurkey: US can’t comprehend purpose of Afrin operation‘Turkey’s next step is to stabilize Syria’s Afrin’Turkish deputy PM slams US statement on Afrin operation
PKK’s armory decked with NATO weapons
The U.S has supplied the PYD terror organization with more than 5,000 truckloads of weapons to allegedly use in the fight against Daesh, despite Ankara’s warnings that the group is the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terror organization.
Turkish soldiers distributed humanitarian aid to families in Syria's Afrin following Turkey's Olive Branch operation. The troops were received with open arms as they chatted to residents and handed out food.
Turkish soldiers distribute humanitarian aid to Afrin residents
Erdoğan also revealed that 3,647 terrorists had been neutralized since the onset of Operation Olive Branch in Syria's Afrin.
On Sunday, Turkish-backed troops liberated the town of Afrin, which had been a major hideout for the YPG/PKK since 2012.
According to the Turkish General Staff, Operation Olive Branch has aimed to establish security and stability along Turkey's borders and the region as well as protect Syrians from the cruelty and oppression of terrorists.
It 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, the army said.
A Turkish soldier is greeted by Syrians in town center after Turkish Armed Forces and Free Syrian Army (FSA) took complete control of northwestern Syria's Afrin within the "Operation Olive Branch" on March 20, 2018. The Turkish troops and Free Syrian Army fighters took control of the Afrin town center early on Sunday as part of Operation Olive Branch, which was launched on Jan. 20 to clear the area of YPG/PKK-Daesh terrorists.Turkish soldiers distribute food to local residents in Afrin
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