18 February 2017, 10:13 GMT
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, media reported that all neighborhoods in the Syrian town of Al Bab had been taken under control of the Syrian opposition.
"Al Bab is under control, the goals set at the beginning of the operation have been achieved," Akar said as quoted by the Anadolu news agency.
He added that the necessary assistance for normalization of life of local people would be provided.
The Euphrates Shield operation by Turkey and Syrian opposition started on August 24. The city of Jarabulus in northern Syria was captured before the offensive on Al Bab began. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the aim of the operation was to clear the region of terrorists and make it a safety zone for refugees.
The operation has been widely criticized both by the Syrian Kurds and Damascus, who have accused Ankara of violating Syria's territorial integrity.
