Turkey Warplanes Pound Syria’s Afrin
DAMASCUS (Dispatches) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Ankara plans to launch an operation against U.S.-backed Kurdish militants in the northern Syrian city of Manbij as Turkish warplanes launch airstrikes on positions of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia in Syria.
Erdogan made the announcement in a televised speech in the city of Kutahya on Saturday after Ankara started a de-facto ground operation in the northwestern border region of Afrin in Syria.
"The Afrin operation has de-facto been started on the ground," said Erdogan, adding, "This will be followed by Manbij.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said in a televised speech on Saturday that Turkish "armed forces have started an air campaign in order to destroy elements" of the YPG.
Afrin and Manbij are controlled by the People's Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara views as a terror organization and the Syrian branch of the outlawed Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK).
Turkey has in recent days sent dozens of military vehicles and hundreds of troops to the border area. Over the past two days, Turkish forces have been shelling YPG targets around Afrin.
Turkey deployed troops to northern Syria in August 2016 without Damascus’ approval under the pretext of fighting the terror group of Daesh. The operation, named Euphrates Shield, however, was later seen turning its focus on the Kurds, whom Turkey associates with anti-Ankara terrorists.
The operation ended last March, but Turkey recently redeployed its forces after the United States announced a plan to set up a new 30,000-strong "border security” force, including the Kurdish militants, near the Turkish border. Washington had already angered Ankara by reneging on its promise of stopping its arms transfers to the Kurds and retrieving the weapons it had already given to them.
The statement by Turkey’s General Staff said the army hit the Kurdish targets "within the scope of legitimate self-defense,” Reuters added.
Turkey has been remobilizing troops and tanks at its border and vowed to "eradicate” the "threat” from the Kurdish militants in a ground operation in Afrin.
It associates the Kurds with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which has been engaged in an armed conflict against Ankara for decades.
"The promises made to us over Manbij were not kept. So nobody can object if we do what is necessary," said Erdogan, referring to past American assurances that the YPG would move out of Afrin.
The Turkish president added that Ankara would "step by step" destroy a "terror corridor" that he said had been set up by the YPG.
"Later we will, step by step, clear our country up to the Iraqi border from this terror filth that is trying to besiege our country," said Erdogan.
Meanwhile, Syria has censured both the American and Turkish plans for a fresh wave of unilateral military operations on its soil. Damascus views such measures as an assault on the country’s sovereignty.
The Syrian government has also indicated that it would shoot down any Turkish planes entering its skies.
The U.S. State Department called on Turkey to focus on the fight against Daesh terrorists and described Turkish activity in Afrin as destabilizing.
Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli said on Friday that Turkey’s operation in the region had started with cross-border shelling, but no troops have gone into Afrin.
This file photo taken on June 9, 2017 shows militants from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in the area of Afrin, along Syria's northern border with Turkey.
Erdogan made the announcement in a televised speech in the city of Kutahya on Saturday after Ankara started a de-facto ground operation in the northwestern border region of Afrin in Syria.
"The Afrin operation has de-facto been started on the ground," said Erdogan, adding, "This will be followed by Manbij.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said in a televised speech on Saturday that Turkish "armed forces have started an air campaign in order to destroy elements" of the YPG.
Afrin and Manbij are controlled by the People's Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara views as a terror organization and the Syrian branch of the outlawed Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK).
Turkey has in recent days sent dozens of military vehicles and hundreds of troops to the border area. Over the past two days, Turkish forces have been shelling YPG targets around Afrin.
Turkey deployed troops to northern Syria in August 2016 without Damascus’ approval under the pretext of fighting the terror group of Daesh. The operation, named Euphrates Shield, however, was later seen turning its focus on the Kurds, whom Turkey associates with anti-Ankara terrorists.
The operation ended last March, but Turkey recently redeployed its forces after the United States announced a plan to set up a new 30,000-strong "border security” force, including the Kurdish militants, near the Turkish border. Washington had already angered Ankara by reneging on its promise of stopping its arms transfers to the Kurds and retrieving the weapons it had already given to them.
The statement by Turkey’s General Staff said the army hit the Kurdish targets "within the scope of legitimate self-defense,” Reuters added.
Turkey has been remobilizing troops and tanks at its border and vowed to "eradicate” the "threat” from the Kurdish militants in a ground operation in Afrin.
It associates the Kurds with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which has been engaged in an armed conflict against Ankara for decades.
"The promises made to us over Manbij were not kept. So nobody can object if we do what is necessary," said Erdogan, referring to past American assurances that the YPG would move out of Afrin.
The Turkish president added that Ankara would "step by step" destroy a "terror corridor" that he said had been set up by the YPG.
"Later we will, step by step, clear our country up to the Iraqi border from this terror filth that is trying to besiege our country," said Erdogan.
Meanwhile, Syria has censured both the American and Turkish plans for a fresh wave of unilateral military operations on its soil. Damascus views such measures as an assault on the country’s sovereignty.
The Syrian government has also indicated that it would shoot down any Turkish planes entering its skies.
The U.S. State Department called on Turkey to focus on the fight against Daesh terrorists and described Turkish activity in Afrin as destabilizing.
Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli said on Friday that Turkey’s operation in the region had started with cross-border shelling, but no troops have gone into Afrin.
This file photo taken on June 9, 2017 shows militants from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in the area of Afrin, along Syria's northern border with Turkey.