Erdoğan: Turkey will not step back from Afrin operation

Baku. 22 January. REPORT.AZ/ President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday commented on the ongoing Operation Olive Branch launched in Syria’s Afrin.

“Turkey will not take a step back from the Afrin operation, and has an agreement with Russia”, Report informs, Erdoğan said.

“It is a matter of eliminating the terror corridor. The U.S. brought 5,000 truckloads of military equipment to this region. This was distributed to terror organizations,” he added.

“Turkey’s main aim with this operation is to ensure security and stability and that locals are safe from terrorists,” Erdoğan said.

“Our Syrian brothers and sisters in Turkey will have the opportunity to return to their homes,” he added.

The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) extended Operation Olive Branch to Syria's Azaz district, east of the Afrin region, on Monday.

The president also commented on a missile that hit the Turkish border province of Hatay. "The attackers will pay a heavy price for this," he said.

The operation was initiated on January 20 in Afrin to establish security and stability, eliminate terrorists of PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG and Daesh, and save locals from the terrorists’ oppression and cruelty.