ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday threatened to expand the assault on Afrin across the Kurdish region of Rojava in northern Syria.
"We will continue our fight until there is no terrorist on our border leading to Iraq," Erdogan said in a speech from Ankara.
Turkey has labelled Kurdish armed forces in Syria as “terrorists” with connections to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The United States has armed the Kurdish YPG under the umbrella of the SDF as part of the war against ISIS in northern Syria. Ankara has routinely complained of the US’ alliance with the force.
While the United States has forces on the ground with the YPG and SDF in northern Syria, they have no presence in Afrin because ISIS militants are not in that area.
US President Donald Trump told his Turkish counterpart that he understands Turkey’s security concerns, but urged him to limit the operation and civilian casualties.
In fiery rhetoric in a speech on Friday, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the United States has no moral authority to comment on Turkey’s actions.
Referring to abuse of Iraqi prisoners by American forces in Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison, Cavusoglu asked, “With what right are you reminding me of human rights and civilians?”
SDF invite individual fighters to surrender
Turkey’s ‘Operation Olive Branch,’ now in its seventh day has so far been focused on the northeastern Kurdish canton of Afrin.
The YPG-led SDF reported “violent clashes” between them and Turkish forces in villages in western and southern Afrin on Friday.
According to the Kurdish-led force, Turkey has carried out nearly 200 airstrikes since the start of the operation and Turkish surveillance planes are a constant presence in the air.
Turkey has also fired at Kurdish positions along the length of its border with Rojava this week, according to the SDF, which said Turkey fired heavy machine guns in the Manbij area, launched mortars on a village in the Kobane area, and shelled residential areas in the eastern region of Jazeera where three civilians were killed.
The SDF called on people within the Turkish army and Syrian militias backed by Turkey to surrender. In a direct appeal to individual fighters on Thursday, the SDF said the conflict “is not your war” and labelled themselves as the genuine defenders of Syrian territory.
“Therefore, our forces invite you to surrender to the nearest point of our forces,” the force stated, pledging safety for all those who do so.
Foreign volunteer members of the YPG who had been fighting ISIS in eastern Syria have arrived in Afrin.
"We will continue our fight until there is no terrorist on our border leading to Iraq," Erdogan said in a speech from Ankara.
Turkey has labelled Kurdish armed forces in Syria as “terrorists” with connections to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The United States has armed the Kurdish YPG under the umbrella of the SDF as part of the war against ISIS in northern Syria. Ankara has routinely complained of the US’ alliance with the force.
While the United States has forces on the ground with the YPG and SDF in northern Syria, they have no presence in Afrin because ISIS militants are not in that area.
US President Donald Trump told his Turkish counterpart that he understands Turkey’s security concerns, but urged him to limit the operation and civilian casualties.
In fiery rhetoric in a speech on Friday, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the United States has no moral authority to comment on Turkey’s actions.
Referring to abuse of Iraqi prisoners by American forces in Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison, Cavusoglu asked, “With what right are you reminding me of human rights and civilians?”
SDF invite individual fighters to surrender
Turkey’s ‘Operation Olive Branch,’ now in its seventh day has so far been focused on the northeastern Kurdish canton of Afrin.
The YPG-led SDF reported “violent clashes” between them and Turkish forces in villages in western and southern Afrin on Friday.
According to the Kurdish-led force, Turkey has carried out nearly 200 airstrikes since the start of the operation and Turkish surveillance planes are a constant presence in the air.
Turkey has also fired at Kurdish positions along the length of its border with Rojava this week, according to the SDF, which said Turkey fired heavy machine guns in the Manbij area, launched mortars on a village in the Kobane area, and shelled residential areas in the eastern region of Jazeera where three civilians were killed.
The SDF called on people within the Turkish army and Syrian militias backed by Turkey to surrender. In a direct appeal to individual fighters on Thursday, the SDF said the conflict “is not your war” and labelled themselves as the genuine defenders of Syrian territory.
“Therefore, our forces invite you to surrender to the nearest point of our forces,” the force stated, pledging safety for all those who do so.
Foreign volunteer members of the YPG who had been fighting ISIS in eastern Syria have arrived in Afrin.
Foreign volunteer YPG fighters have arrived in Afrin. Photo: YPG
“We have fought Daesh [ISIS] before in Raqqa, in Deir ez-Zor, and now with the fascist Turkish state that we are fighting here in Afrin,” said one volunteer in a video posted by the YPG.
“We are defending the people of Afrin, the Kurdish people who have resisted against Turkey for decades,” said another.
The leadership of the self-autonomous canton appealed on Damascus to “exercise its sovereign duty towards Afrin and protect its borders with Turkey from the occupying Turkish forces,” read a statement issued by the Afrin government on Thursday.
The regime of Bashar al-Assad has condemned Turkey’s operation in Afrin, including threatening to shoot down Turkish jets in its airspace. Despite their warnings, however, Damascus has not followed through.
Turkish Medical Association condemns war
As of Friday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that casualties from both sides stand at 53 Kurdish fighters, 58 militiamen from the Turkish-backed Syrian elements, and seven Turkish soldiers.
The UK-based conflict monitor also stated that Turkey is trying to discover the fate of seven soldiers missing from the field of battle.
The SDF have acknowledged 43 deaths within their ranks, while Turkey has said they lost three soldiers.
According to the SDF, 59 civilians have also been killed and many more injured.
Ciwan Mohammed, supervisor at Afrin hospital, confirmed the deaths of 32 people - 10 children, eight women and 14 men, reported local media agency ANHA, which has ties to the Kurdish groups.
He said they have also treated 49 injured people, including "13 children, nine women and 27 men."
The UN estimated earlier this week that 5,000 people have been displaced from their homes in areas near the Afrin-Turkey borders due to the fighting.
Erdogan, speaking by phone on Friday with UK Prime Minister Theresa May, said that they are taking the “utmost care” not to harm civilians, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
The Turkish Medical Association condemned the Afrin operation and called for peace.
“Any clash, any war, by paving the way to irrecoverable issues in terms of physical, spiritual, social and environmental health, will also bring a humanitarian drama,” read a statement on their website.
Erdogan subsequently accused of the medical association of being “terrorist-lovers” and questioned their “silence” over activities of the PKK.
The Association responded saying that their opposition to war is an act of “patriotism.”
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