Turkey’s fight against terror will endure despite Euro Parliament’s calls: Turkish Foreign Ministry

ANKARA

Turkey has said it will continue its fight against various terror organizations inside Syria in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, slamming a resolution approved by the European Parliament that has called on the Turkish government to end its ongoing operation in the Afrin province of Syria.

“There is no explanation for the European Parliament to give credit to the baseless claims of the terror organization while it ignores Turkey’s efforts in the fight against terror. It is impossible for us to accept this resolution by the European Parliament, who has a well-known history of tolerance towards terrorist organizations. Turkey will determinedly continue its fight against terror as it has in the past,” said a written statement issued by the Foreign Ministry late March 15.

The Parliament voted in favor of a resolution on March 15 that calls on Turkey to end “Operation Olive Branch” in Afrin with claims of many civilian casualties. Turkey has said its target is the People’s Protection Units (YPG) in the Afrin province of Syria and has vowed its operation will continue until the job is done.

The statement reiterated that the ongoing operation is against terror and is based on Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, as well as relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions on the fight against terrorism. Along with the YPG terrorists, some elements of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have also been stationed in this region, the statement recalled.

“From this perspective, this operation has international legitimacy, as it not only aims to provide the security of Turkey, but also that of Europe,” it added.

Claims over civilian casualties are groundless, it stressed, underlining Turkey’s efforts to end humane tragedies in Eastern Ghouta and to de-escalate tension in the Idlib province of Syria and elsewhere in the war-torn country.

“In this frame, Turkey calls on the European Parliament and EU countries to bear responsibility and to genuinely contribute to ending the seven-year old crisis in Syria and to stop armed conflict in the field,” said the statement.