AA photo.
Türkiye marked the 10th anniversary of Operation Euphrates Shield, its army’s first incursion into Syria against the presence of ISIL.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Defense Ministry issued separate statements on the anniversary of the operation.
“On the anniversary of Operation Euphrates Shield, through which we demonstrated the strength of our heroic army to the whole world and declared to both friends and foes that we will not tolerate terrorism, conflict, and instability in our region, I commemorate our dear martyrs with mercy and our heroic veterans with gratitude,” Erdoğan said.
The Turkish Armed Forces-led operation conducted with the Free Syrian Army aimed to clear the Turkish-Syrian border from ISIL’s control and expel the group from Jarablus and other key provinces in northern Syria.
It also targeted YPG’s positions to avoid the “establishment of a terror corridor” stretching from the Iraqi-Syrian border to the Mediterranean.
The ministry recalled that the “Turkish army dealt a great blow to the terror organizations, particularly ISIL,” thanks to the operation.
