Holac Posted January 21, 2018 Turkish war planes have launched air strikes on Kurdish fighters in northern Syria in a move likely to raise tensions with the US. Turkey wants to oust the YPG militia, which it calls a terrorist group, from Afrin region on its southern border. The US-backed YPG says at least nine people were killed in the air strikes. Russia has moved its troops away from Afrin, saying it is concerned but will not interfere. Syria denounced Turkey's "aggression" and "brutal attack". Turkey had been shelling the area for two days, ahead of its declaration of a military operation on Saturday. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-42759944 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Holac Posted January 21, 2018 Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said late Saturday that Turkish ground offensive into northwestern Syria's Afrin will likely start on Sunday, depending on developments. Speaking to reporters with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader, Devlet Bahçeli, Yıldırım said that Turkish jets destroyed "almost all" terrorist targets they had identified belonging to the YPG. He said Turkish artillery would continuing to shell the region. "As of tomorrow, depending on developments, our ground elements will carry out the necessary activities," Yıldırım said. The prime minister also came together with Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar at the Armed Forces' headquarters in Ankara to follow up and discuss the Operation Olive Branch. Some 72 Turkish warplanes participated in the Operation Olive Branch targeting seven regions in the counter-terror operation, the TSK said later, adding that the warplanes safely returned to their bases. Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu confirmed on Saturday that both ground troops and F-16 warplanes were being used in Operation Olive Branch, underlining that o civilians were targeted and all current casualties were only YPG terrorists with uniforms. Yıldırım reiterated that Turkey decided to launch the operation after an increase in terror attacks on Turkish land from southeastern Syria. Turkey has launched a military campaign in Afrin region to eliminate the PKK, PYD, YPG and Daesh terrorist organizations, and to save civilians in the region from the terrorists' oppression and cruelty. Daily Sabah Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Old_Observer Posted January 21, 2018 Me thinks America is in cahoots with Turkey. That part Afrin was with Russia. America wants Afrin to come to it, and Turkey wants to empower the FSA which is Turkish supported and with Turkmen can have bigger role. Syria prefers the Kurds to the Turkmen and Arabs. The Kurds are in a bad spot always used and thrown by empires. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
