Turkey's military action will continue till complete destruction of ISIS in Syria: Turkish President Erdogan

Beirut / Washington: Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkey‘s military action would continue till the terrorists in Syria are completely wiped out. Erdogan also clarified that while taking action against the terrorists in Syria, no discrimination will be made between the ‘ISIS’ and the Kurd rebels. However, there is a growing criticism from the US over this operation initiated by Turkey in Syria.

Post the suicide terror attack in the ‘Gaziantep’ region in the southern Turkey, Erdogan government had announced action against the terrorists by invading their positions in Syria. It has been more than a week that Turkey’s military has initiated this action in Syria. Against this backdrop, President Erdogan made this clear in his announcement that the presence of any terrorist organisation, will not be tolerated inside or close to the border of Turkey.

The President of Turkey announced that ‘for this sole purpose, Turkey’s military had invaded Syria to launch offensive against the terrorists in ‘Jarabulus’ and if the need arises in future as well, there will be repetition of the action similar to ‘Jarabulus’ in the other parts of Syria.’ Erdogan also declared that this operation in Syria would not be ending soon and the military of Turkey would not retreat till it finishes off the ISIS from this region. Erdogan also stated that in order to demolish the ISIS from Syria, Turkey is ready to assist in every possible way.

Turkey’s military has claimed to have finished off the terrorists in the operation taken up in ‘Jarabulus’. However, as per the information published by the Human Rights Organisation in Syria, 35 Kurds are alleged to have been killed in the said attack. But Turkey has dismissed these allegations. Erdogan has also remarked that while fighting against terrorism, Turkey would not discriminate between the ISIS and the Kurd rebels. The President of Turkey expressed confidence that the same aggressiveness, shown while taking up action against the Kurds, will be displayed by Turkey’s military in the offensive launched against the ISIS. The Kurdish leaders are accusing the Turkey military that post invading Syria, Turkey’s military has launched offensive against the Kurd rebels. They have further insisted that the action taken up in ‘Jarabulus’ was also against the Kurd rebels and not the ISIS. The Kurd leaders are also claiming that the military of Turkey would continue to target the locations of the Kurd rebels, however, Turkey has refuted these allegations.

After gaining control over ‘Jarabulus’, the Turkish military and the airforce, are launching the offensives even more aggressively in Syria. Turkey’s tanks are arriving in huge numbers in Syria via its border areas. Last week, airstrikesUS air force planes also launched airstrikes in Syria while justifying it’s assistance to Turkey. In the past few days, however, the Turkish military has started attacking the rebels of the US-supported organisation ‘Syrian Democratic Forces’ (SDF) as well, who are an ally of the Kurd rebels.

For the past few years, the ‘SDF’, with the help of the US, is fighting against the Assad government in Syria, as well as the ‘ISIS’. For this reason, the action initiated by the Turkish military against this organisation, has attracted displeasure from the US. It is being accused that 41 Kurd rebels have lost their lives, in this action initiated by Turkey. The special messenger of the United States, Brett McGurk has accused Turkey of launching offensives on non-ISIS locations. He has also expressed concern over this operation initiated by Turkey.

Meanwhile, the President Bashar al-Assad’s government of Syria has warned against the invasion of the Turkish military in Syria. The Assad government has warned that the military of Turkey will have to face serious consequences for violating the sovereignty of Syria. The Kurd rebels of Syria have also threatened the military of Turkey to pose the same dangers as the ‘ISIS‘.

#Turkey‘s anti-ISIS war actually targeting US-backed #Kurds. Turks take advantage of alleged #US-based Gulenist coup pic.twitter.com/iCKXpewzm5

— Samir Dattopadhye (@samirsinh189) August 31, 2016