Turkey to restore Atatürk’s military headquarters in Syria’s Afrin

HATAY

A historic house in Syria’s Afrin district will be renovated and turned into a museum, the governor of the southern Turkish province of Hatay, Erdal Ata, said on July 7.

The house in Afrin’s Raju neighborhood, which had been used by the Turkish Republic’s founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk during World War I as his military headquarters, was discovered during the Turkish forces’ security checks on July 2. It will now be restored and used as a museum in the future.

“Our governor’s office will take action and renovate it. After restoration is complete, the building will serve as a history museum,” Ata told state-run Anadolu Agency.

“Gazi Mustafa Kemal used the mansion in 1918 during the Battle of Katme. We took all the necessary steps and I hope it will be completed in a short period of time. We will search for pictures, goods and documents for the time being and they will be exhibited in the museum,” he said.

Turkey on Jan. 20 launched “Operation Olive Branch” to remove People’s Protection Units (YPG) militants from Afrin.

Turkey considers the YPG as the Syrian branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the EU and the U.S.

On March 18, Turkish troops and Free Syrian Army (FSA) members entered the town of Afrin, on the 58th day of the operation.

IN PHOTOS: Atatürk’s headquarters discovered in Syria’s Afrin: Report