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Turkey's Olive Branch operation in Syria to have four stages - Turkish PM

There will be a 30-kilometer buffer zone, Binali Yildirim noted

Turkey’s Prime Minister Binali Yildirim Pool Photo via AP

Turkey’s Prime Minister Binali Yildirim

© Pool Photo via AP

ANKARA, January 21. /TASS/. The Olive Branch operation of the Turkish military against the Kurds’ units in northern Syria will have four stages, the Milliyet newspaper reported Turkey’s Prime Minister Binali Yildirim as saying on Sunday.

"The operation will have four stages, there will be a 30-kilometer buffer zone," the daily quoted the prime minister.

Besides, he continued in the Olive Branch operation the Turkish military "will destroy all "terrorist organizations." "Prior to the operation’s beginning, we had all necessary diplomatic negotiations," he added.

Yildirim also confirmed beginning of the republic’s military ground operation in Syria’s Afrin. "Turkey’s ground forces entered Syria’s Afrin at 11:05 on Sunday," the newspaper quoted the prime minister as saying.

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. On the first day, the Turkish Air Force hit 108 targets in Afrin’s seven locations and then returned home. According to Sky News Arabia, six civilians and three military were killed in the air strike. The Turkish General Staff, however, insisted all the killed and injured "are terrorists.".

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China against double standards in international law — Foreign Ministry

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"There will always be an answer," the president said

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Russia not obliged to notify anyone about launch of intermediate-range missile — Kremlin

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Tehran to launch new centrifuges in response to IAEA anti-Iran resolution — statement

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Russia fires ballistic, non-nuclear-tipped missile at Ukrainian aerospace plant — Putin

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US, European officials suggest returning nukes to Ukraine — NYT

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West launched missiles targeting Russia’s Bryansk, Kursk Regions — Putin

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German chancellor reiterates decision not to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine

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Russia hammers Ukrainian military-industrial facilities, energy sites over week

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Russia entitled to use weapons against military sites of states attacking it — Duma

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Russian forces successfully advancing in all areas in special military op zone — Putin

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US administration chooses to escalate Ukraine conflict — Kremlin

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China holds US responsible for disrupted defense ministers' meeting in Laos

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Russia hit Ukrainian military-industrial facility in response to use of Western missiles

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Ukraine was warned about possible missile strike — Pentagon

Department of Defense Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh gave no answer to the question of how could Ukraine prepare for this kind of attack

Trump seeks to restore peace in entire world — transition team on Putin’s address

Trump’s inauguration will take place on January 20, 2025

China urges restraint after Russia, Ukraine's exchange of attacks — foreign ministry

Lin Jian also reaffirmed Beijing's position on the Ukrainian issue

US, West have no capabilities to intercept new Russian hypersonic missile — expert

"There is more in the Russian arsenal than many believe," said Karin Kneissl, the former Foreign Minister of Austria

Signal to West and 'red card': experts weigh in on Putin’s missile launch statements

The important message in Vladimir Putin’s speech was that "Russia does believe that the West has shifted from a proxy-war to direct war" and that the parties find themselves in "a global conflict" now, Dmitry Suslov said

Any escalation scenario possible in Ukraine conflict — Medvedev

According to the politician, Western nations need to understand that they are fighting on Ukraine’s side