Turkish celebrities, regular citizens and businesses rallied Wednesday to express their love and support to the country's military on Valentine's Day amid Operation Olive Branch in northwestern Syria's Afrin region.
A campaign called "Gifts to Mehmetçik this year" quickly picked up pace on social media as thousands pledged to join. "Mehmetçik" is a general term used affectionately to refer to the soldiers of the Turkish army.
Donations to the Mehmetçik Foundation have reportedly reached record levels.
The Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TIM) launched a text-to-give campaign through which people can donate 10 Turkish liras ($2.63) to the Turkish military.
NGOs across the country mobilized to show their support for the soldiers participating in the anti-terror operation in Afrin, while some businesses pledged to donate their Valentine's Day revenues to the army.
On Jan. 20, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) launched Operation Olive Branch in Afrin targeting PKK-affiliated terrorists from the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed wing the People's Protection Units (YPG) as well as remaining Daesh elements.
