The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Erdogan vows to start new operation in Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that the Turkish army will start a new operation in Syria as soon as the preparations are finalized.

“We will begin a new military operation in Syria as soon as our preparations are completed,” he told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

The new incursion aims to link the broken security corridor that the Turkish military has established along the Turkish-Syrian borderline, he explained.

“I would like to underline that the efforts to distract us from our goals are futile. Our cross-border operations are like our balanced and consistent attitude towards crises. We will start new operations,” Erdogan said.

Citing his upcoming visit to Madrid this week for the NATO summit, Erdogan said he will present documents to display the “hypocrisy of certain countries regarding terrorist organizations.”

In the past few weeks, the Turkish president has voiced several times Turkey’s intention to launch a new operation in the neighboring country against Syria’s Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG).

Ankara has long been urging the West to recognize the YPG as the Syrian branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Turkey’s forces and the YPG members often exchange fire in the region, and the clashes accelerated recently.

The Turkish army launched Operation Euphrates Shield in 2016, Operation Olive Branch in 2018, Operation Peace Spring in 2019, and Operation Spring Shield in 2020 in northern Syria.

Turkish authorities say the operations aim to eliminate terror threats against Turkey and provide a safe zone that will facilitate the return of Syrian refugees to their homes.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, has been rebelling against the Turkish government for more than three decades. 

 

 

Source: Xinhua

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of the Observatory.