Turkey continues to be vigilant although its anti-terror operation in northern Syria dealt a heavy blow to terrorists aiming to establish a terror corridor in Syria, said Turkish presidential spokesman on Monday.
"The Operation Peace Spring has eliminated to a large extent the aims of establishing a corridor, even a state, in northern Syria,” Ibrahim Kalın.
“A considerable blow was dealt on this corridor. However, Turkey continues to be vigilant,” Kalın added.
The YPG/PKK members' withdrawal from Turkish borders after the operation “doesn't mean the war [on terror] is over or slowed down”, the spokesman added.
Pointing to the claims that Turkey's operation in Syria was “undermining the fight” against Daesh/ISIS members, Kalın said those claims are made just to “protect the YPG/PKK.”
According to the Turkish intelligence, Kalın said, the YPG/PKK was targeting Turkish and Syrian National Army (SNA) soldiers in Syria’s northeastern Tal Tamr town in the western al-Hasakah province, where normally there were no conflicts.
“Turkey expects its allies, either the U.S., EU or any other country, assume a clear stance against all kinds of terror. Recognizing the PKK as terror group on paper is not enough. What you practiced is important,” Kalın said.
The presidential spokesman also noted that initiatives have been launched in the UN High Commissioner's Office for return of Syrian refugees.
Kalın also commented on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's possible visit to the U.S., saying Turkey was not the party that sought the visit. "Our evaluations continue on whether [visit] will take place or not," he added.
ILKHA