In a phone call, Turkey's president briefed his French counterpart about the aims of the country's ongoing anti-terror operation in northern Syria. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told Emmanuel Macron about the threat that PKK/YPG and Daesh terrorists in northern Syria pose to both Turkey's security and Syria’s territorial integrity. He also stressed Operation Peace Spring's future contributions to both regional and global peace and stability. Before the phone call, Macron had criticized the operation, claiming in particular it could help a revival of terrorist group Daesh. Turkey has pushed back against the criticisms, saying it expects its NATO...
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Turkey on Monday again rejected the “false equation” of Syrian Kurds with the terrorist group PKK and its Syrian offshoot, the YPG/PYD, currently the target of a Turkish anti-terror operation in northern Syria. "We categorically reject the false equation of Syrian Kurds with the terrorist organization PKK,” Communications Director Fahrettin Altun wrote on Twitter. “The terrorists invaded NE Syria, a predominantly Sunni Arab area, imposed its Marxist-Leninist ideology on the local population, and exiled or killed anyone that challenged its rule,” Altun added, referring to the YPG/PYD. Decrying how Western governments “lie” to the public about Syria,...
Speaking at the World Turkic Business Council’s meeting in Baku, President Erdoğan said: “By entirely securing our border with Syria, we will create an environment in which refugees in our country will be able to return to their own lands. With the contribution of the international community, we will build new residential units in terror-free areas. Thus, we will ensure our country’s security and facilitate the return of Syrian refugees, and will also consolidate Syria’s territorial integrity and political unity by eliminating the separatist terrorist organization.” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered a speech at the...
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is in Azerbaijan to attend the 7th Summit of the Cooperation Council of the Turkic Speaking States (Turkic Council), met with President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan at Zagulba Palace. Upon his arrival at Heydar Aliyev International Airport, President Erdoğan was welcomed by First Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Yagub Eyyubov, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Ankara Hazar Ibrahim, Turkey’s Ambassador to Baku Erkan Özoral and Embassy staff. Later on, President Erdoğan met with President Aliyev of Azerbaijan at Zagulba Palace as part of...
Turkey’s president criticized foreign media on Monday for using misinformation on the country's ongoing Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria. "They are always using the same tactic," Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told reporters. "We'll strive to tell the truth," he added. Erdoğan was speaking at the Ataturk Airport in Istanbul before departing for Baku to attend the seventh Summit of the Turkic Council. He said Turkey would comprehensively brief participants of the summit on the operation. Last week, Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring to eliminate terrorists from northern Syria in order to secure Turkey’s borders, aid in...
Directorate of Communications organized Communication Strategy Workshop on Operation Peace Spring. During the workshop chaired by the Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun, strategic communication activities were discussed for the national and international public to gain an accurate understanding of the Operation Peace Spring. In this context, evaluation of all relevant media and methods, effective planning of cooperation between agencies and coordination of anti-propaganda and public diplomacy activities were also among the issues addressed to support the success of the operation on the ground as well as in the field of communication. The workshop also focused on eliciting the humanitarian...
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Sunday that they received the biggest support for Turkey's Operation Peace Spring from Syrian Kurds. "Our operation is not targeting the Kurds," Erdoğan said in Istanbul. He went on to say that Turkey will not allow the establishment of a terrorist state in northern Syria. The ongoing military operation has killed 440 terrorists, injured 26 and captured 24, the president added. "So far, there have been 652 mortar and rocket attacks on [Turkey's] provinces of Sanliurfa, Mardin, Sirnak and Gaziantep fired by the YPG/PKK terrorists," Erdoğan said. He noted that 18 civilians -- most of...
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will pay a visit to the Azerbaijani capital city of Baku on October 14-15, 2019 to attend the 7th Summit of the Turkic Council. Coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the Nakhchivan Agreement, signed by Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan on October 3, 2009 for the establishment of the Turkic Council, the Summit is especially important since Uzbekistan will participate in it as a full member for the first time. The supplementary documents on the Turkic Council’s European representative office opened in Budapest, the capital city of Hungary, which attended the last year’s Summit...
Turkey's president and the U.K. prime minister discussed Turkey’s ongoing anti-terror operation in northern Syria over the phone late Saturday. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan explained the aim of Operation Peace Spring in Syria to Boris Johnson. President Erdoğan said the anti-terror operation will continue until the PKK/YPG and Daesh threats were eliminated in northern Syria and the safe and voluntary return of displaced Syrians are ensured. Turkey on Wednesday launched Operation Peace Spring to purge terrorists from northern Syria in order to secure Turkey’s borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees, and ensure...