Erdoğan visits military command center in Turkey’s south

ANKARA - Anadolu Agency

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited a military command center in the southern province of Hatay on Jan. 25 as Turkey’s ongoing “Operation Olive Branch” in northern Syria entered its sixth day, according to a presidential source.

Erdoğan was accompanied by National Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar, Second Army Command Commander Lt. Gen. Ismail Metin Temel, Deputy Premier Bekir Bozdağ and Hatay Governor Erdal Ata, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The command operation center is tasked with running “Operation Olive Branch.”

Erdoğan was updated on the progress of the operation by military commanders via video conferences with other operating centers, the source added.

In his address to the soldiers at the base, Erdoğan reiterated that the operation would continue until they get results.

He also repeated Turkey was not eyeing another country’s lands, and Afrin would be handed over to its original owners soon after it is “cleared of terrorists,” the source said.

Turkey on Jan. 20 launched “Operation Olive Branch” to remove the People’s Protection Units (YPG) from Syria’s northwestern district of Afrin.