Turkish Prime Minister Yıldırım briefed on Afrin operation

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım was briefed on Feb. 5 on Turkey’s ongoing “Operation Olive Branch” in Syria’s northwestern Afrin district via video conference by an operation center in Turkey’s southern province of Hatay.

Turkey on Jan. 20 launched the operation into Afrin to remove People’s Protection Units (YPG) militants.

Yıldırım spoke to Lt. Gen. Ismail Metin Temel, the commander of the second army and commander of “Operation Olive Branch,” ahead of a council of ministers’ meeting at Çankaya Palace in the capital Ankara.

The communication was made through a new national instant messaging application called “PTTmessenger.”

“The operation is continuing as planned,” Temel told Yıldırım during the video conference. “We are putting in all sorts of efforts in order to not harm both our soldiers and civilians.”

“Our target is to eliminate the terrorists completely. Following the operation, we believe people in Afrin will be freed from oppression and persecution of these terrorists,” he said.

“Thank you for your support,” the general added.

“Thanks. We wish success to you,” Yıldırım replied.