Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that the republic's armed forces intend to conduct a new cross-border operation in the districts of Manbij and Tall Rifat in northern Syria against members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Popular Self-Defense Forces (HXP), which Ankara recognizes as terrorist organizations.
"We are clearing Tall Rifat and Manbij of terrorists. Then we will do the same step by step in other regions. We will see who supports our legitimate steps," the Turkish president said during a speech to parliament in Ankara.
According to Erdogan, "attempts to legitimize terrorists by changing their names from PKK to HXP or DU (Democratic Union - TASS) will lead to nothing." "Those who take such initiatives are deceiving themselves, but not Turkey," he added.
Turkey has conducted three military operations in northern Syria since 2017 - Euphrates Shield, Olive Branch and Peace Spring. As a result, a security buffer zone was created between the cities of Azaz and Jarabulus north of Aleppo, Afrin was occupied, and border areas east of the Euphrates River were taken under control. On May 23, Erdogan announced preparations for a new military operation in northern Syria to expand the 30-kilometer security zone created in October 2019 after Operation Peace Spring. According to the Turkish media, the operation may begin in the near future, it is planned to involve about 50,000 Turkish soldiers and fighters of the Syrian armed opposition, supported by Ankara.
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Based on materials from TASS