Turkey’s top security board convenes amid operations in Syria

ANKARA

Turkey’s top security board has convened under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and with the participation of the highest ranking military and government officials, as the Turkish army’s operations inside Syria continue.

The biannual National Security Council (MGK) took place on March 28. Along with Erdoğan, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım, the defense, foreign and deputy prime ministers, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar, the commander of the land, navy and air forces, and intelligence chief Hakan Fidan participated in the council meeting. 

The meeting comes days after the Turkish Armed Forces and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) declared full control over the Afrin district of Syria during “Operation Olive Branch,” which was launched on Jan. 20 to remove People’s Protection Units (YPG) militants from northwestern Syria.

The security board will hold a general assessment on the army’s ongoing operations in Syria amid strong claims that Tel Rifaat, a Syrian town north of Aleppo, will be the next target.

The board will also evaluate Turkey’s fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) both inside the country and in Iraq. Turkey has vowed that it won’t hesitate to intervene in the Sinjar region of Iraq, where the PKK has long been in efforts to set up a new headquarters in the strategically important region.