Turkish doctors treat Syrian children in northern Syria

ANKARA-Anadolu Agency

Syria children in an area of northern Syria cleared of terrorists by a Turkish-led operation are getting medical care at a Turkish-staffed hospital, according to the National Defense Ministry.

The Turkish Defense Ministry posted a video on social media on Jan. 18  showing Syrian children getting medical care at the hospital in Ras al-Ayn, northern Syria, near the Turkish border, an area liberated by Turkey's anti-terrorist Operation Peace Spring.

It showed Syrian mothers saying they are happy and grateful to Turkey for feeling safer and healthier.

“We trust the Turkish soldiers. They are taking care of us,” said one Syrian mother.

Another mother said that Turkey made them more secure and added: “They have a lot of love for the children. Praise God. We are very pleased. Everything is really good.”

She added that the Turkish soldiers are “very affectionate people. We are more than satisfied.”

Turkey on Oct. 9 launched Operation Peace Spring to eliminate terrorists from northern Syria in order to secure Turkey's borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees, and ensure Syria's territorial integrity.       

Ankara wants to clear east of the Euphrates River in northern Syria of the terrorist group PKK and its Syrian offshoot, the PYD/YPG.         

The U.S.-backed SDF, a group dominated by the YPG, has been controlling some 28 percent of the Syrian territories, including the most of the 911-kilometer-long Syria-Turkey border.

Turkey deems the YPG the Syrian offshoot of the illegal PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization also by the United States and the EU.