“Preparations in the field take some time. In the coming days, we will lay seige to Afrin city. It’s very important that everywhere we go should remain secure,” Erdoğan told his lawmakers at parliament.
Erdoğan’s statement comes as the operation aiming to clear the region from YPG militants enters its 32nd day. Turkey’s operation is advancing slowly because of the army’s sensitivity regarding avoiding civilian casualties, the president said.
“Thanks to the siege, the YPG will have no room for bargaining with the Syrian regime,” he stressed, referring to news reports that the YPG would leave Afrin to Damascus.
The siege would also result in cutting all assistance provided to the YPG in Afrin, the president said.
[hurriyetdailynews.com]
20/2/18
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YPG/PKK aims to establish terror corridor: Turkish FM...
ReplyDeleteAnyone who cares about Syria’s border security and integrity prefers Turkey’s presence in the area rather than the terrorist group YPG/PKK, Turkish foreign minister said on Tuesday.
In an interview with the news channel 24, Mevlut Cavusoglu said YPG/PKK aims to divide the country and tries to establish a terror corridor.
Speaking about the recent reports of an alleged agreement between YPG/PKK terrorist group and Bashar al-Assad regime on Afrin, Cavusoglu said: “It is obvious that they [the regime] did not enter [Afrin] yet, but more terrorists are coming to the region especially from the east.”
He noted the Assad regime was undecided whether it was better for YPG/PKK or Turkey to be there. “YPG wants to divide Syria, he [Assad] knows it. He also says that YPG is a terrorist group.”
[aa.com.tr]
20/2/18
Turkey will lay siege to Afrin in northern Syria, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday a month after Ankara launched an offensive against Kurdish militia in the region.
ReplyDelete"In the coming days, swiftly, we will lay siege to the center of the town of Afrin," Erdogan told the parliament.
His remarks came as Turkey's operation "Olive Branch", a ground and air offensive against the People's Protection Units (YPG) militia which Ankara brands "terrorists", entered its second month.
While some analysts say Turkey and pro-Ankara Syrian rebels have made slow advances, Erdogan defended the operation's progress, saying it was to avoid putting the lives of both its troops and civilians needlessly "at risk".
"We did not go there to burn it down," he said, insisting the operation's aim was to "create a safe and livable area" for the Syrian refugees inside Turkey, who fled across the border since the conflict began in 2011 and who now number more than three million.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said at least 94 civilians have been killed during Turkey's offensive.
AFP
Ankara is attempting to block the Syrian popular forces' deployment in Afrin in Northern Syria to halt clashes between the Kurds and the Turkish army, media sources reported on Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteThe Arabic-language al-Mayadeen news channel confirmed that several routes in Marimin, Bastouleh and Jabal al-Ahlam which were due to be used by the Syrian volunteer forces to enter Afrin have been attacked by the Turkish army.
It also quoted Kurdish sources as saying that the Syrian army forces have not yet entered Afrin, adding that the logistic affairs have postponed their deployment.
Meantime, the Arabic-language al-Masdar news website reported that the Syrian army forces are present in two regions in Nobl al-Zahra near Afrin and have not received order to enter Afrin yet.
Arab media outlets reported on Monday that the Syrian government troops will deploy in Afrin region in coming hours after Damascus and the Kurdish militia in Northwestern Aleppo eventually reached an agreement on the presence of the army and popular forces in the region.
The state-run SANA news agency reported that the Syrian popular forces will enter Afrin to face the Turkish military aggression.
FARS