Turkey and allied Syrian rebels gain control in ‘Afrin’: President Erdogan

Ankara: Turkish President Recep Erdogan has declared that the Turkish army and the Turkish-backed rebel groups helping them have gained control of the ‘Afrin’ town in Syria. Turkey had initiated a campaign ‘Operation Olive Branch’ in the ‘Afrin’ area since January. Russia had supported this campaign whereas, the United States had asked Turkey to stop the attacks. It is remarkable that Turkey has achieved success in spite of the opposition from the United States.

President Erdogan announced the victory over ‘Afrin’ with the words ‘The central part of ‘Afrin’ was brought under control in the morning at about 8.30. Most of the terrorists had already escaped from the city. Units of the special forces of the Turkish army and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) are engaged in destroying the remaining terrorist locations and the traps set by the terrorists. Now ‘Afrin’ has the flags of belief and stability waving instead of those of the terrorists.’

The Turkish President also claimed that, ‘Turkey and its allies have not attacked the town of ‘Afrin’ but they have freed it from the terrorists’ torture’. President Erdogan praised the victory by saying that, ‘Turkey has shown to the world with the ‘Afrin’ campaign that it always stands up for the exploited’. The Turkish President also referred to this success as the one like the Ottoman empire had achieved in the last century.

Although, the Turkish President has claimed victory over ‘Afrin’, the Kurdish organisations and the groups informing about the war in Syria, have refuted the claims of the Turkish President. These groups have claimed that the conflicts between Turkey and the Kurdish organisations are still going on in some parts of Afrin. They have explicitly denied the news of the Kurdish organisations escaping from ‘Afrin’.

Turkey initiated the campaign in ‘Afrin’ in Northern Syria against the Kurds in January. This campaign is based on the allegation that ‘YPG’, the Kurdish rebel organisation in Syria has taken assistance from the Kurdish terrorist organisation ‘PKK’. Turkey has claimed to have killed 3291 Kurds during the action. The Turkish army had recently announced that they have reached the ‘Afrin’ border and will capture the city very soon.

Following ‘Afrin’ in Syria, Turkey has initiated air attacks on the Kurdish locations in Iraq as well. Their fighter jets had claimed to have attacked 18 Kurdish locations in Iraq in the last few days. Last week, the Turkish army had informed that the attacks were carried out on the terrorists of the ‘Kurdistan Workers Party’ (PKK) which is a threat to its security.