Turkey Starts Operation 'Olive Branch' in Syria

Although the rift between the EU and Turkey is steadily growing, there are clear signs that Brussels does not want to lose Ankara, especially in light of Russo-Turkish political and economic rapprochement, Turkish political observers told Sputnik.

In an interview with Sputnik, President of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces (NCSROF) Abdulrahman Mustafa commented on the situation in the Syrian Afrin, which Turkish forces and the forces of the Free Syria Army had taken control of as part of operation Olive Branch.

ANKARA (Sputnik) - The Turkish Army and the Free Syrian Army armed opposition group have seized control over the Kurdish-held northern Syrian city of Afrin.

36 Syrian fighters were killed following a Turkish attack on a militia camp in the town of Kafr Jina, Reuters reports, citing a source associated with the Syrian opposition.

Fierce fighting near a town located to the northwest of the embattled city of Afrin was ongoing as the Turkish armed forces launched the second phase of operation Olive Branch, aimed at the elimination of Kurdish armed factions in northern Syria that Ankara considers to be terrorists.

A Turkish attack helicopter was hit in northern Syria but was able to safely fly back to Turkey this afternoon, according to Kurdish media.

The Turkish General Staff has reported about the interception in Afrin of a convoy of 30-40 vehicles belonging to what they described as "terrorists and Kurdish militia groups."

Residents of a Kurdish-held enclave in northern Syria that recently became ground zero of a major Turkish military operation staged a rally to welcome the arrival of pro-Damascus militia units.

The UN said on Monday that Syria is currently experiencing “some of the worst fighting of the entire conflict” nearly seven years after the war began. A representative of the Kurdish self-defense units, the YPG, Nuri Mahmoud spoke to Sputnik about the relationship of the Kurdish forces with the Syrian government troops and the United States.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The Pentagon has seen no indication of Turkey planning to move to the Syrian city of Manbij, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Stability and Humanitarian Affairs Mark Swayne said at a Washington, DC think tank on Monday.

Kurdish Defense Units have uploaded a video featuring the destruction of Turkish tank in Syria’s northern district of Afrin to the Twitter account of Rojava Defense Units.

Emmanuel Macron’s office announced its decision after the French president discussed Turkey’s operation against Kurdish People’s Protection Units in Syria with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a phone conversation.

Turkey launched its operation in Syria on January 20 and has repeatedly emphasized that the campaign doesn't in any way threaten the Arab Republic's territorial integrity.

Turkey’s Operation Olive Branch is aimed to reach the objectives Ankara failed to achieve in the course of the Euphrates Shield campaign, Iraqi military strategist Amir al-Saidi has told Sputnik. According to the strategist, Ankara is seeking to bolster its positions to gain leverage in the Syrian peace talks in Geneva and Sochi.

ANKARA (Sputnik) - The Turkish Armed Forces have killed 597 militants belonging to the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), People's Protection Units (YPG) and Daesh since the beginning of the operation in Syria's northern district of Afrin, the Turkish General Staff said in a statement on Monday.

Turkey kicked off its Olive Branch operation against Kurdish militia groups in Northern Syria on January 20. The Turkish aviation and land forces are being supported by Free Syrian Army militants.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Turkish military operation in Syria’s northern Afrin district has claimed lives of 86 civilians, leaving 198 others wounded since its beginning a week ago, the Syrian state-run Sana news agency has reported, citing civilian sources.

Thousands of Kurdish immigrants have taken to the streets of Europe to protest against the Turkish military operation in the Syrian city of Afrin.

Deputy of the Turkish ruling AKP party, Metin Kulunk, in an interview with Sputnik Turkey said that the operation in Manjib will continue until the complete destruction of the Kurdish YPG forces.

Foreign forces need the Afrin offensive launched by the Turks to enflame a new round of war in the region, Syrian official Heifi Mustafa told Sputnik. For his part, Turkish academic Samir Salehah argues that Ankara's Operation Olive Branch falls within the framework of Article 51 of the UN Charter as a self-defense operation.