A new Turkish military operation in northern Syria will allow Ankara to gain control of the 600km section of the common border and minimize terrorist threats from the adjacent territory, the national daily Türkiye reported on Friday. military and diplomatic sources.
According to the report, in some places the operation will be carried out at a depth of even 45 kilometers and will occupy about 470 settlements in Syria. The Turks note that controlling the Tel Rifat and Manbij areas will allow Turkey to establish a 35km security zone and fulfill the strategic task set by President Tayyip Erdogan.
Speaking in parliament last Wednesday, he said Ankara was launching a new military operation in the adjacent territories and would "clear terrorists first from the Tel Rifat and Manbij areas".
Mr. Erdogan said the main goal of the operation was to expand the 30-kilometer-long security zone created in October 2019 after the "Source of Peace" operation, but now it seems that Turkish plans are aimed deeper into Syrian territory.
According to military sources quoted by local media, the operation in Syria will consist of several stages and will take into account the experience of cross-border operations of the Turkish armed forces in northern Iraq. About 50.000 Turkish soldiers and fighters from the Turkish-backed Syrian armed opposition are expected to attend.
As a result of previous Turkish operations in northern Syria, a security zone was established between the cities of Azaz and Yerablus north of Aleppo, Afrin was occupied and the border areas east of the Euphrates River came under Turkish control.
Other information from Turkey speaks of the creation of a refugee deposit zone, so that Turkey can transport there from its territory about 1 million Syrian and Kurdish refugees.
Source: Turkiye, TASS