ANKARA, October 13. /TASS/. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has refuted media reports about the escape of Islamic State (a terrorist organization outlawed in Russia) militants from prisons in Syria due to Ankara’s Peace Spring operation in that country.

"It is misinformation. It is done to provoke America and the West," Anadolu news agency quoted him as saying at a meeting with editor-in-chief of Turkish media outlets in Istanbul.

On October 9, Ankara launched an offensive in north Syria dubbed Operation Peace Spring, which began with airstrikes on Kurdish units. The objective is to establish a safety zone in northern Syria for protection of the Turkish border. In addition, Syrian refugees could return to that area from Turkey, Ankara believes. Syria’s SANA news agency slammed Ankara’s operation as an act of aggression. The world community has condemned Ankara’s actions.