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Conflict in Syria

Turkey ready to respond to destabilized situation in northern Syria, top brass says

The presence of terrorists in the region is unacceptable, Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar underscored

ANKARA, June 7. /TASS/. Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that Ankara was ready to respond to a destabilized situation in northern Syria in a phone conversation with his Russian colleague Sergey Shoigu on Tuesday.

"In the context of the situation in northern Syria, the necessary response will be provided to actions on destabilizing the situation in the region. [Akar] stressed that the presence of terrorists in the region is unacceptable. In relation to this, he also reiterated the necessity to observe earlier agreements," according to the Turkish Defense Ministry’s statement.

Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Ankara was launching a new trans-border operation on the adjacent territory and first "will clear the terrorists from the regions of Tell Rifaat and Manbij." According to him, the main goal of the operation is the expansion of a 30-kilometer security zone created in October 2019 after Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring.

According to local media outlets, the new operation will allow Turkey to establish control over a 600-kilometer sector of the border with Syria and minimize terror threats coming from the adjacent territory. According to Ankara, main threats to its national security are the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Syria’s so-called National Defense Forces (NDF) which Turkey deems to be an offshoot of the PKK. According to military sources, the operation will involve about 50,000 Turkish servicemen and the militants of Syria’s armed opposition supported by Ankara.

As a result of Turkey’s military operations conducted in northern Syria earlier, a security zone between the towns of Azaz and Jarabulus north of Aleppo was created, Afrin was occupied and border regions east of the Euphrates River were taken under control.

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Syria Turkey Syrian conflict

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