Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar discussed latest developments in Syria with his British counterpart over the phone on Wednesday, according to Tur
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar discussed latest developments in Syria with his British counterpart over the phone on Wednesday, according to Turkey’s Defense Ministry.
According to the Ministry, Akar and British Security Minister Ben Wallace discussed situation in Syria, defense and security issues.
Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring on Oct. 9 to eliminate terrorists from northern Syria in order to secure Turkey’s borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.
Ankara wants to clear northern Syria east of the Euphrates River of the terrorist YPG/PKK.
Turkey has said the PKK and the YPG/PYD constitute the biggest threats to Syria’s future, jeopardizing the country’s territorial integrity and unitary structure. YPG is the Syrian offshoot of the PKK.
YPG/PKK supporters continue to terrorize Europe
Supporters of the YPG/PKK terror group have increased their violent acts in Europe since Turkey started its anti-terror operation in northeastern Syria last week.According to data compiled by Anadolu Agency, YPG/PKK sympathizers carried out around 20 attacks across Europe in a week.The YPG/PKK sympathizers targeted Turkish citizens living in Europe, their workplaces, associations, mosques and Turkish diplomatic missions.On Thursday, YPG/PKK sympathizers attacked Mevlana mosque in Germany’s Bad Salzuflen.On Friday, the terror group’s supporters burned a car belonging to Turkey’s Embassy in Berlin.On Saturday, YPG/PKK sympathizers attacked Turkish Workers Association in Germany’s southern Villingen Schwenningen town, injuring two people.The same day, a supermarket belonging to a Turk in Germany’s Nurnberg was attacked by the terror group’s sympathizers, injuring one person and damaging the market.In Belgium on Friday, around 300 YPG/PKK supporters stabbed and injured two Turkish youth in Liege city.Again on Friday, 2,000 YPG/PKK terror group sympathizers tried to march to Turkey’s Bern Embassy. While the police blocked them, they attacked the police with iron bars, stones and other objects.In Finland’s capital Helsinki on Monday, a group of around 250 people attacked Turkey’s embassy and threw stones. Four windows of the building were broken.Turkey on Oct. 9 launched Operation Peace Spring east of the Euphrates river to secure its borders by eliminating terrorist groups there, to ensure the safe return of Syrian refugees and Syria’s territorial integrity.Ankara wants to clear northern Syria east of the Euphrates of the terrorist YPG/PKK terrorists.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 deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. YPG is the Syrian branch of the PKK.Go,run!: Former Daesh prisoner says YPG deliberately set terrorists freeFM says YPG/PKK released Daesh prisoners in N SyriaYPG/PKK uses fake photos to smear Turkey’s op in SyriaSchools suspended in north Syria amid PKK/YPG shelling
FM says YPG/PKK released Daesh prisoners in N Syria
The YPG/PKK terror group has released Daesh terrorists in northern Syria to attack Turkey, the nation’s top diplomat said on Wednesday.”PYD/YPG has not hesitated to make a direct agreement with Daesh. As a result of the deal in Raqqa, hundreds of Daesh militants have been freely evacuated with buses,” Mevlut Cavusoglu told lawmakers in the Turkish parliament.Listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the European Union, the PKK has been responsible for deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants in its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey. The PYD/YPG is the Syrian offshoot of the terror group.”They have not only released the Daesh terrorist in northern Syria in exchange for attacking Turkey, but they have also given them money,” said Cavusoglu.Earlier, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he discussed the fate of Daesh prisoners held by the YPG/PKK over the phone with U.S. President Donald Trump and said Turkey could take responsibility for them, but the YPG/PKK immediately released Daesh prisoners.The Turkish leader also said that Turkey could assume responsibility for Daesh terrorists imprisoned across northern Syria and might send foreign fighters back to their home countries.Turkey on Oct. 9 launched Operation Peace Spring to secure its borders by eliminating terrorist groups there, to ensure the safe return of Syrian refugees and Syria’s territorial integrity.Ankara wants to clear northern Syria east of the Euphrates of the terrorist YPG/PKK.Lambasting countries criticizing Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring, Cavusoglu said they aim to establish a terrorist state in northern Syria.”Look at the countries, especially France, which are reacting [against Turkey’s Syria operation], their aim is to establish a terror state there,” Cavusoglu said in the capital Ankara.On Saturday, Germany and France announced they halted arms export to Turkey, citing Operation Peace Spring.Cavusoglu said that any threat or sanction — “whenever they come” — will never be accepted by Turkey.”They will not affect Turkey’s determination,” he stressed.Go,run!: Former Daesh prisoner says YPG deliberately set terrorists free
YPG/PKK uses fake photos to smear Turkey’s op in Syria
Sympathizers of the PYD/PKK terror group continued their smear campaign on social media against Turkey’s anti-terror operation in northern Syria.YPG/PKK-affiliated social media accounts have been spreading misleading and irrelevant images of burned or burning military vehicles and tanks, framing them as belonging to the Turkish Armed Forces amid the country’s ongoing Operation Peace Spring, which seeks to eradicate a terror corridor in its southern border and bring stability to the region.A photo — posted by a pro-PKK/YPG social media account — showing a burning tank was posted as if taken during the operation. It was actually found to have been taken in Iraq in 2003.Another pro-PKK/YPG account published a similar photo of another Iraqi tank, which had been taken in 1991 in Kuwait during the First Gulf War, to smear Turkey’s peace operation.In another example, a manipulator social media account used the photo of an armored personnel carrier in flames as if three tanks, which belong to the Turkish army, were destroyed in the town of Tal Abyad in northern Syria. The photo was found to have been taken in 2007 in the Samarra district in Iraq’s north-central Saladin province.A photo of a tank in flames taken in Syria in 2012 was also used as if it was taken in northern Syria during Turkey’s operation.Another terror-linked social media account tried to manipulate public opinion with another image of a tank in flames, claiming it was taken during Operation Peace Spring. The photo was found to have been taken in 2012 in Syria.Pro-YPG/PKK social media accounts also used a photo of burned armored vehicles as if taken during Operation Peace Spring, which was false as the photo was taken in Yemen in Sep. 2.Turkey on Oct. 9 launched Operation Peace Spring to eliminate terrorists from northern Syria in order to secure Turkey’s borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees, and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.Ankara wants to clear northern Syria east of the Euphrates River of the terrorist PKK and its Syrian offshoot, the PYD/YPG.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 deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.
Erdoğan says to re-evaluate upcoming US visit
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that he would decide whether to go ahead with a planned visit next month to the United States after meetings with an American delegation in Turkey this week.Speaking to reporters in parliament, Erdogan said he would re-evaluate the trip because “arguments, debates, conversations being held in Congress regarding my person, my family and my minister friends are a very big disrespect” to the Turkish government.Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump are due to meet in Washington on Nov. 13. Vice President Mike Pence is expected to meet Erdogan in Ankara on Thursday to discuss Turkey’s incursion in northern Syria.Separately, Erdogan also described Tuesday’s move by U.S. prosecutors to charge Turkey’s Halkbank with evading U.S. sanctions on Iran as an “unlawful, ugly step.”