YPG/PKK terrorists violate the safe zone deal with the US 20 times since it came into effect on October 17 – Turkey's Defence Ministry
The UN humanitarian aid coordinator said at least 160,000 civilians in northeast Syria have been displaced amid Turkey's anti-terror Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria.
Following the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Turkey spent $40 billion as it took in 3.6 million Syrian refugees – more than any other country – and "shouldered the burden of hosting millions of war victims with very little help from the international community". Erdogan also expressed his resolve to "ensure that no ISIS [Daesh] fighters leave northeastern Syria."
According to US law, those mentioned on the sanctions list face blocking of their properties and are prevented from having trade relations with the US.Pence says Trump spoke with Turkey's leader earlier on Monday and called for an immediate end to Turkey's operation in Syria. The top Democrat and Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee have said they will introduce similar legislation.US Defence Secretary Mark Esper said Monday he would ask NATO allies to punish Turkey for its anti-terror operation in Syria, saying Turkey's operation in the country had resulted in the release of Daesh detainees.
McConnell says he is "gravely concerned" about the move. It was his strongest criticism of Trump's move and underscores near-solid bipartisan opposition in Congress. French President Emmanuel Macron made clear to Trump "the absolute necessity to prevent a re-emergence" of Daesh, after the US pulled its troops out of northern Syria
In a statement posted on Twitter, he added that steel tariffs will again be raised to 50 percent and negotiations for a $100 billion trade deal will be stopped "immediately" by the US Commerce Department. "The folly of trusting a terrorist group for keeping watch over another is exposed for all," said the Turkish official.
Turkey spent $40 billion "on our guests" [Syrian refugees] and we will continue investing on our guests "because our understanding of civilisation requires us to do it," President Erdogan added. President Trump suggested Monday that PKK/YPG militants may be releasing imprisoned Daesh terrorists to force the United States to remain involved in northeastern Syria.
Erdogan also stressed that European leaders are subjected to serious misinformation about Turkey's operation. “Turkey is focused and determined to continue the fight against Daesh, and is also a country that is fully dedicated to fighting these cowardly terrorists,” he stressed. “We're always together [with Turkey]. … The only right way for us is to act with Turkey and to stand shoulder to shoulder in this cause. People of TRNC stands by Turkey in it s Operation Peace Spring,” Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ersin Tatar told Turkey’s Communication Director Fahrettin Altun over the phone.
Speaking Sunday alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Paris, Macron said the Turkish offensive is creating "unsustainable" humanitarian problems and risks "helping the Islamic State [Daesh] group re-emerge in the region."She acknowledged that Turkey has "legitimate security concerns" but said different solutions need to be found for the region.
"Following successful operations as part of Operation Peace Spring, the M-4 highway has been brought under control after a 30-35 km-deep incursion," the ministry announced on Twitter.US Defense Secretary Esper said on Sunday Trump had ordered the withdrawal of up to 1,000 troops from northern Syria. "So far, there have been 652 mortar and rocket attacks on Turkey's provinces of Sanliurfa, Mardin, Sirnak, and Gaziantep fired by the YPG/PKK terrorists," Erdogan said.
Trump has defended his decision to withdraw troops from northeast Syria and once again repeated a threat of sanctions against Turkey. “Sometimes we have to know what we are fighting for and we can’t stay there forever, we have to bring our great heroes, our great soldiers, we have to bring them home.”Successful operations in northern Syria by Turkey and Syrian National Army have lead to the liberation of the town Ras al Ayn from PKK/YPG terrorists as Operation Peace Spring continues, Turkey's Defence Ministry said.
Meanwhile, Turkey's Minister of Defence Hulusi Akar and senior commanders are visiting the operations centre on Turkey-Syria border as Ankara's anti-terror campaign enters its fourth day.More than 100,000 people from the towns of Ras al Ayn and Tal Abyad have been displaced by the escalation of violence in Syria, the UN World Food Programme said on Saturday.
The governor's office of Mardin Province said in a statement on Friday that 35 others were injured in the border town of Nusaybin. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry says it's confident that the operation will help ensure peace and stability in northern Syria. "This operation is a result of demographic engineering that some of the coalition partners did in the northeast of Syria," Vassily Nebenzia told reporters at the international body's New York headquarters.
Rocket and mortars fired from YPG/PKK-occupied regions in Syria hit Akcakale, Birecik and Ceylanpinar towns of Sanliurfa as well as Nusaybin town of Mardin in southeastern Turkey. “I call on Arabs, Kurds, all who have been forcefully recruited to YPG, to leave the terror group right away and start fighting for their honour and land along with our forces” said the Turkish president.
“Since the start of Syrian crisis, we emphasise that we understand Turkey’s concerns over its border security,” Lavrov told reporters on the side lines of the meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States Foreign Ministers in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. "Our army continues its fight against terrorists, while its main priority is to protect civilians from harm," Turkey's Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Twitter, touching on the purpose of the operation.Turkish air strikes and howitzers hit 181 terror targets as part of Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria, said Defence Ministry on Thursday.
"Right now, he’s holding, in all fairness to him, he’s holding millions of people that would be all over the place if he wasn’t holding them," said Trump.Trump also acknowledged that the PKK - designated a terror organisation by the US, EU and Turkey - "have worked with us". The airstrikes also hit the terrorist elements in the city of Ras al Ayn, as well as those in the rural areas of Derik and Qamasli districts.
"As in the Euphrates Shield Operation and the Olive Branch Operation, only terrorists, their shelters, positions, weapons, tools and equipment are targeted in the planning and implementation of the operation," the defence ministry said, adding all kinds of attention and sensitivity are shown to prevent the damages of civil/innocent people and historical, cultural, religious structures, infrastructure facilities and elements of friendly and allied countries in the region.
"Our ally Turkey is at the forefront of the crisis and has legitimate concerns. It has suffered horrendous terrorist attacks and hosts millions of refugees," Stoltenberg said. "Syria needs stability and a political process... however, the Turkish offensive now threatens to cause a new humanitarian disaster," Maas said in a statement, adding that Berlin would "urge Turkey to end its offensive and to pursue its security interests peacefully."Turkish military is using howitzers on targets in Tal Abyad town as part of Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria, Anadolu Agency reported.
"We will preserve Syria's territorial integrity and liberate local communities from terrorists," Erdogan said. At least 18,000 fighters are due to participate in the first stage of the Turkish offensive, according to Abdelrahman Ghazi Dadeh. Trump, however, said Turkey must take over captured Daesh members "that Europe refused to have returned."Trump said the US has spent $8 trillion "fighting and policing in the Middle East."
"This is a separatist terrorist organisation and wants to divide Syria, while we support Syria's territorial integrity. So, we've decided to start an operation against them," Cavusoglu said.Senior Turkish and US officials discussed measures for the formation of a "safe zone" in northeastern Syria and possible steps after a Turkish offensive in the region, broadcaster NTV said, as Ankara poised to launch its operation.
"The Turkish military, together with the Free Syrian Army, will cross the Turkish-Syrian border shortly," he said.Russia on Wednesday warned US policies in Syria could "ignite" the whole region.
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