Turkiye Plans to Establish Security Zone in Syria
Turkish President says the move is aimed at securing southern borders.
Turkey will start ground operations in northern Syria “at the best time” to build a haven, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.
“Our determination to secure our entire southern border – from (the region of) Hatay to Hakkari – with the security forces is stronger today than ever. We have been part of this group before and work across borders,” Erdogan told parliament members.
According to Xinhua News, Turkey’s President has promised to eliminate the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in Tell Rifaat, Manbij, and Ayn al-Arab in northern Syria to complete other security areas. He added that the Turkish army is determined to carry out “necessary actions to implement” this strategy of eliminating threats across the Turkish border.
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“Although we will continue our air operations without interruption, we will cover the terrorists on the ground at our best,” Erdogan said. He emphasized that the authorities of Iraq and Syria should not interfere with Turkish activities in these areas, adding that Turkey will be responsible for the security of the orders of Iraq and Syria.
Türkiye did the air service on November 20th against the YPG in northern Syria and (PKK) in northern Iraq.
The air campaign, dubbed “Operation Claw-Sword,” began after a bomb exploded in Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul, on November 13th, which killed at least six people and injured 81 others.
After the attack, Turkish police said they arrested a Syrian woman named Ahlam Albashir, who admitted to receiving orders from the YPG, which Ankara considers the Syrian branch of the PKK. The Turkish military launched Operation Euphrates Shield in 2016, Olive Branch in 2018, 2019 Operation Peace Spring in, and 2020 Operation Spring Shield in northern Syria.
