Ankara, Oct 10: Turkish defence ministry said on Thursday the nation’s troops are continuing their advancement into northern Syria following its launched offensive operation – “Operation Peace Spring“, to remove PKK/YPG groups which control northern Syria.
“Our heroic commandos who are participating in Operation Peace Spring continue to advance east of the Euphrates River in northern Syria,” the defence ministry said on Twitter.
On Wednesday, Turkey launched the offensive operation to safeguard its border by removing terrorist elements from the border region.
Turkey’s Vice President Fuat Oktay, in a tweet, said: “Our army continues its fight against terrorists, while its main priority is to protect civilians from harm.”
In the operation, of which sole purpose is to ensure the security of our borders and the voluntary return of Syrians to their homes, our army continues its fight against terrorists, while its main priority is to protect civilians from harm.
— Fuat Oktay (@fuatoktay) October 10, 2019
Oktay also said Ankara’ decision of advancing into Syria is in line with self-defence set out in the United Nations (UN) charter.
It is our greatest expectation that the world public opinion will have the same determination in the fight against terrorist organizations.
— Fuat Oktay (@fuatoktay) October 10, 2019
The two Turkish operations were in accordance with the nation’s right to self-defence, borne out of the international law, UNSC resolutions, particularly no. 2178 (2014), 2170 (2014) and 1624 (2005), and under the right to self defence under Article 51 of the UN charter.
Turkey has on Monday conducted an airstrike attack on a military installation of Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), downing two bridges in the northeast Syrian province of Hasakah. However, there were no reports of casualties but found a mass military buildup at the Syrian border.
SDF said on Monday American armed forces have withdrawn from the northeast Syria borders region along Turkey, as they failed to fulfil their obligations under the reached agreement.
The United States-backed Kurdish forces, which has seized much of the northeast region, said in a statement: “The American forces did not fulfill their commitments and withdrew their forces from the border areas with Turkey, and Turkey is now preparing for an invasion operation of northern and eastern Syria.”
Turkey has, for a considerable length of time, been squeezing to set up a 30-40km profound zone inside Syria, looking for the removal of the YPG from the zone and the decimation of their passages and fortresses.
The US and Turkey have been at loggerheads over plans for the region, where the US-backed Kurdish YPG fighters, forming a main American force, are combating the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL and ISIS).
The Syrian government has called the deal between Turkey and the US a “blatant attack” on the nation’s power and sovereignty.