‘No Stopping Until We Reach Our Goals’ in Syria, Erdogan's Spokesman Vows Amid Threat of Sanctions

Last Wednesday Turkey launched "Operation Peace Spring", pledging to drive Daesh* terrorists and US-backed Kurdish fighters from the north of Syria, which resulted in an escalation of tensions in the region. Ankara's move has been widely criticised by the international community.

Ibrahim Kalin, special adviser and spokesperson to Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has said that Ankara will not stop until it achieves its goals amid the country's "Operation Peace Spring" in Syria.

The official resorted to his Twitter account on Monday morning to argue that despite “stop operation” calls from international community being made and the threat of sanctions against Turkey, Ankara will continue its operation in the north of Syria.

“No stopping until we reach our goals", Ibrahim Kalin wrote on Twitter.

Musul, Rakka ve Deyrizzor yerle bir edilir ve binlerce sivil öldürülürken seslerini çıkartmayalar, #BarisPinariHarekati’nin başarısı karşısında panik halinde “operasyonu durdurun” çağrıları yapıyor, Türkiye’yi yaptırımlarla tehdit ediyor.
Hedeflerimize ulaşana kadar durmak yok.

— Ibrahim Kalin (@ikalin1) October 14, 2019

On 9 October, Turkey launched its large-scale military offensive in Syria named "Operation Peace Spring", targeted against Daesh terrorist groups and the Kurdish militias from the Syrian Democratic Forces which Turkey considers to be linked to the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) and the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), designated as terrorists by Ankara.

The administration of the Kurdish authority in northern Syria on Sunday announced that it had reached a deal with the Syrian government under which the Syrian Army would help Kurds to repel Ankara’s operation, condemned by European states.

On Monday, the Syrian Army reportedly entered the city of Tabqah in the province of Raqqa, previously controlled by the Kurdish militia. It is currently moving further north as was reported by Lebanon-based media, but no official statement from the Syrian government has come yet.  

The international community has strongly condemned Turkey’s offensive, with a number of European nations, including France and Germany, suspending arms sales to Ankara and US President Donald Trump warning that he was in touch with Congress to establish "powerful sanctions" against Ankara.

The Arab League has also condemned Turkish military operation.

* Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/IS/Islamic State) is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia