Turkish soldiers deployed in Syria’s Afrin vote in Turkish border province of Hatay

HATAY

Turkish military personnel deployed in Syria’s northern district of Afrin have cast their votes in Turkey’s southern border province of Hatay.

Military convoys arrived in the districts of Hassa and Kırıkhan in Hatay, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on June 24.

The Turkish soldiers went to schools serving as polling stations in military vehicles. They all went back to Afrin after voting.

Turkey launched “Operation Olive Branch” on Jan. 20 along with elements of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) to clear Afrin of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG). Turkey sees the YPG as the offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union and the United States.

The Turkish military, which controls Afrin alongside Jarablus region, most recently started patrolling mission near the town of Manbij in accordance with a bilateral roadmap prepared by Turkey and the U.S. forcing the YPG to withdraw from the town on July 4 to the east of the Euphrates River.