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Turkey is preparing for operation in Syria — defense minister

Earlier, the US announced the decision to withdraw troops from Syria
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar
© AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici

ANKARA, December 20. /TASS/. Turkey is carrying out an intensive effort to prepare for a military operation in Syria, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Thursday.

This is Ankara’s first official statement after the US announced the decision to withdraw troops from Syria.

"Now we are facing Manbij and the east of the Euphrates. We are conducting an intense work on this issue," the defense minister said, according to NTV channel.

The defense minister also commented on Turkey’s air strikes on the northern areas of Iraq. According to him, these were pinpoint strikes in order to minimize damage for the population.

On December 12, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced plans to launch a military operation on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River against the Kurdish People's Protection Units and the Democratic Union party, which Ankara calls a Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (listed as a terrorist group by Turkey). Earlier, Turkey carried out two military operations in Syria, Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch. As a result a security buffer zone was created between the frontier cities of Azaz and Jarablus and the Afrin region populated by Kurds was occupied.