Claims that the north Syrian city of al-Bab will be handed over to Assad regime forces after its capture are not true, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş said yesterday.
Speaking on Anadolu Agency's Editor's Desk, Kurtulmuş said that the Turkey-backed operation was not conducted so that control of the region can be given to the regime.
"We've said it from the beginning that Operation Euphrates Shield is an operation regarding Turkey's own national security," Kurtulmuş said, adding that the operation is focused on clearing the terror threat on the country's southern border with Syria.
Kurtulmuş also criticized the U.S.-backed coalition for failing to provide sufficient support to liberate the area from Daesh terrorists, but said that Turkey hopes the U.S. under the Trump administration will change its stance and provide support to policies that will work in favor of the people of Iraq and Syria.
Turkey, Russia conduct 2ND joint air op against Daesh in al-BabRussian and Turkish air forces have conducted their second joint air operation against the Daesh terrorist group in Syria's al-Bab on Saturday where the two countries' warplanes struck 22 targets.
According to a statement released by the Russian Defense Ministry on Monday, two Russian Su-24Ms and a Su-34 bomber, as well as two of Turkey's F-16s and two F-4s, participated in the airstrikes.
The Turkish army is supporting Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters in their fight to liberate al-Bab from the terrorist group and as part of an agreement signed recently between Russia and Turkey, Russian jets have also engaged Daesh targets in the al-Bab region.
A total of 107 Daesh targets destroyedA total of 107 positions have been shelled as part of Operation Euphrates Shield in northern Syria, the Turkish military said on yesterday.
According to a statement released by the military, shelling by Turkish troops destroyed terrorist hideouts, defense positions, command control centers, weapons and vehicles. Turkish jets also destroyed nine terrorist hideouts in total.
Meanwhile, U.S.-backed coalition jets also targeted Daesh terrorists, destroying a building, an ammunition-laden vehicle and two mortars.
Turkey launched Operation Euphrates Shield on Aug. 24, 2016, declaring that is was exercising its right of self-defense codified under the U.N. Charter Article 51.
A National Security Council press release on Nov. 30, 2016 said the operation's objectives were to maintain border security and confront Daesh terrorism within the framework of the U.N. charter. It also emphasized not allowing the PKK terrorist organization along with its affiliates, the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the People's Protection Units (YPG), to establish a corridor of terror on Turkey's doorstep.
