Russia is sending more military police in order to stabilize the situation on the Syrian border with Turkey, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tues
Russia is sending more military police in order to stabilize the situation on the Syrian border with Turkey, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday. The Russian statement comes as Turkish officials express concern about the failure of the terrorist PKK’s Syrian offshoot the People’s Protection Units (YPG) from the designated area specified in the deal between the two countries.
The defense ministry claimed that Russia has fully fulfilled its obligations regarding the withdrawal of YPG terrorists from the Turkish border.
The ministry also said that Turkish officials’ statement about launching the operation in the area is “cause of astonishment.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said neither Russia nor the U.S. fulfilled their part of the deal over the withdrawal of YPG terrorists from northern Syria and that Turkey will not hesitate to launch the operation to clear the border.
Operation Peace Spring was launched on Oct. 9 to eliminate terrorist YPG/PKK elements from northern Syria east of the Euphrates River in order to secure Turkey’s borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.
Ankara agreed with Washington on Oct. 17 to pause its operation to allow YPG/PKK terrorists to withdraw from the planned safe zone.
On Oct. 22, Ankara and Moscow reached a deal under which YPG/PKK terrorists were to pull back 30 kilometers south of Turkey’s border with Syria within 150 hours, and security forces from Turkey and Russia would mount joint patrols there.
In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union, has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.