Turkey will continue the fight to eliminate terrorism, the country's top communications director said early Sunday.
"We will continue our just struggle to eradicate terror at its source, without making any concessions. With mercy and gratitude to all our martyrs," Fahrettin Altun said on Twitter, referencing the soldiers who participated in the 2020 Operation Spring Shield that was conducted to remove terrorist elements on Turkey's border with Syria.
Turkey announced the launch of Operation Spring Shield on March 1 in the wake of a Syrian regime attack on Turkish troops who were observing a cease-fire in Idlib on Feb. 27 that killed 33, according to the nation's defense chief.
The Turkish Defense Ministry said March 4 that during the operation, 3,136 regime elements were killed in the Idlib region.
The offensive also destroyed 151 tanks, 47 howitzers, two vehicles, three airplanes, eight helicopters, three drones and eight air defense systems.
Fifty-two multiple rocket launchers, 12 anti-tank weapons, 24 armored vehicles, 27 armored combat vehicles, 34 armored pick-ups and four mortars were also destroyed.
Since 2016, Turkey has launched a series of successful counterterror operations across its border in northern Syria to stifle the formation of grassroots terrorist groups and enable the peaceful settlement of the country's inhabitants.
It launched operations Euphrates Shield, Olive Branch and Peace Spring in 2016, 2018 and 2019 respectively.
Turkey has reached agreements with both the U.S. and Russia designed to compel the terrorist group to withdraw from the planned terror-free zone. Throughout its operations, Turkey has supported the inhabitants in all aspects of life, including health care, education, security and agriculture.
Turkey aims to aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees, restore peace and stability in the region and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.
As a result of a series of successful operations in northern Syria, Turkey launched a rehabilitation process, reconstructing hospitals, schools, mosques and roads vandalized by the YPG to secure the safe return of refugees who were forced to desert their country due to the war and unrest caused by terrorist attacks.
