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Conflict in Syria

Azerbaijan understands Turkey’s concerns about terrorist threats - foreign ministry

Earlier on Sunday, turkey’s Prime Minister Binali Yildirim confirmed beginning of the republic’s military ground operation in Syria’s Afrin

BAKU, January 21. /TASS/. Azerbaijan understands Turkey’s concerns about terrorist threats to its security, head of Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s press service Hhikmet Gadzhiev said in a comment on Turkey’s Olive Branch operation in Syria’s Afrin.

"Turkey many times has suffered terrorist attacks, where many innocent people died," he said on Sunday. "Azerbaijan understands fully Turkey’s reasonable concerns about terrorists threats to its security."

According to the Foreign Ministry’s representative, Azerbaijan as a country, which has suffered terrorism, the country condemns all forms and manifestations of terrorism and supports efforts of the international community to fight them.

"Elimination of the terrorist threat is especially important for the international and regional peace and security," he added.

Earlier on Sunday, the prime minister confirmed beginning of the republic’s military ground operation in Syria’s Afrin. The Anadolu agency reports the Turkish military are moving forward jointly with units of the Syrian Free Army, opposing the Syrian government.

On Saturday, Turkey’s General Staff announced beginning of the Olive Branch operation against the Kurds’ units near Afrin, where about 1.5 million Syrian Kurds live. Recent reports quote the Turkish Air Force have hit 153 targets in Afrin. According to Sky News Arabia, six civilians and three military were killed in the air strikes. The Turkish General Staff, however, insists all the killed and injured "are terrorists.".

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