Contents tagged with Afrin

  • Media: Syrian Democratic Forces planning a large-scale operation against Turkish army in Syrian canton Afrin

    Russian Federal News Agency reports, citing its sources, that Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which are supported by the US-led coalition, are planning to launch a large-scale military operation in the north-western province of Aleppo to drive Turkish troops and their allies out of the canton of Afrin.

    According to the agency, the SDF plans a large-scale operation against the Turks in the settlements of Jarablus, Azaz and Al-Bab. SDF command has recently held several meetings with their …

  • Media: France to send troops to help Kurdish militia in Syrian Manbij

    According to a statement released on Thursday from the Elysee Palace, after a meeting with a delegation made up of representatives of the Arab and Kurdish populations in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron assured the leadership of the Syrian Democratic Forces of France’s support.  

    “The President of the Republic mentioned that, following the adoption of Security Council Resolution 2401, France clearly expressed its concern over the situation in the area of Afrin and demanded that the …

  • Erdogan: No disagreements between Turkey and Russia on Afrin

    Turkey and Russia have no disagreements concerning the military operation “Olive Branch” that Turkey is carrying out in the Syrian region of Afrin, as stated by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a press conference while flying back from a tour of Africa, the TRT Haber TV channel reported.

    “We do not have disagreements with Russia concerning Afrin. We will continue to establish observation points in Idlib. Eight such points have already been established. In the future we are planning to …

  • Kurds report that Syrian government forces are in Afrin

    The statement by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that the Turkish military stopped the advance of Damascus-backed troops into the city of Afrin is untrue, spokesman for Kurdish self-defense forces Reyzan Hedu told RIA Novosti.

    “The forces sent (to Afrin) are directed by the Syrian government, from the command of the Syrian army. Erdogan turned out to be a bad traffic policeman today, saying that he stopped the movement of Syrian forces that were heading to Afrin. That statement is not …

  • Erdogan tells Putin that Assad will face consequences if Syrian troops deployed to Afrin

    The Syrian government will “face consequences" if it concludes an agreement with Kurdish militia in Afrin, where Turkey is conducting military operation Olive branch,Turkey's President Recep Erdogan told Russian President Vladimir Putin during a telephone conversation, Turkish NTV channel reports.

    During the talks, Putin and Erdogan discussed the problems in Afrin and in Idlib province. "If the Syrian regime goes down this path [agreement with the Kurds], there will be consequences," Erdogan …

  • Syrian government forces may be deployed in Afrin within next two days

    In the next two days Syrian government forces will be deployed along certain stretches of the Turkish border and in the Afrin province, where the Turkish Armed Forces are carrying out Operation “Olive Branch”, announced Bardan Jia Kurd, spokesperson for the administration of the self-declared Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava).

    An agreement has finally been reached with Damascus, Reuters reports. The Kurds have their first ally in the war with Turkey, whereas before, as they themselves put it, the …

  • Media: Damascus and Kurds agree to bring Syrian army into Afrin

    Both the Syrian government and the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) have agreed that Damascus’s forces should be brought into Afrin in order to “repel the attack by Turkey”, reported the TV channel Al-Mayadeen with reference to its own sources in Syria.

    The source clarified that the agreement was reached after the relevant negotiations. According to Al-Mayadeen’s sources in the republic, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad has announced that the movement of Syrian forces into …

  • Turkey suffers greatest troop losses in Syria

    Since the start of the Turkish army’s “Olive Branch” operation against the Kurds in Syria, 30 Turkish soldiers have been killed and more than 70 have been wounded.

    On February the 10th, two Turkish soldiers were killed in a helicopter crash in Turkey’s Hatay province on the Turkey-Syria border, and a total of 11 soldiers were killed in that 24-hour period. This was reported by the news outlet Anadolu, citing the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces. Photos have been published of six of …

  • Syria complains to UN Secretary General and Security Council about Turkish operation

    Syrian authorities appealed to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and to the UN Security Council with a complaint about the actions of Turkey, which is conducting a military operation in the area of Afrin in Syria. In letters to the international organization, Damascus referred to Ankara’s actions as “occupation” and “armed aggression,” the Syrian state news agency SANA reported.

    “The presence of any foreign military forces in the country’s territory without its consent is aggression and …

  • Pentagon: US may stop supporting Kurds in Syria

    Pentagon spokesperson Adrian Rankine-Galloway told Turkish news agency Anadolu in an interview that the US will stop supporting the Syrian Kurds’ People’s Protection Units (YPG) if they attempt a military operation in the Afrin region, instead of fighting the Islamic State.

    “We are only training and supporting forces who are fighting ISIS. The Pentagon does not give orders to the forces that are active on the ground. If there is an attempt at a military operation not directed against ISIS, …