A hundred children from Syrian territories cleared of terrorism by the Turkish military got a treat Sunday with a visit to neighboring Turkey. Children from the northern Syria cities of Afrin and Jinderes who excelled in their studies arrived in the southern Turkish province of Hatay courtesy of a number of Turkish ministries.

During the trip, the children visited a shopping mall in the city where Benefi Veziro, 14, got the chance to sing songs in Turkish, Kurdish and Arabic. Ali Sandıkçı, a Turkish official, said that the group included a number of orphans. "This was the first program. Starting today, we intend to hold a trip each month and bring 100 Syrian children to Hatay," he said.

Rujan Mannan, 13, said that the trip was full of fun and he loved every second of it. "I'm happy to be in Turkey, thank you all who contributed to this trip," he said.

Afrin had been a major hideout for the Democratic Union Party (PYD), and affiliate of the PKK terror group, since July 2012 when the Assad regime in Syria left the city to the terror group without a fight. On Jan. 20, 2018, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch to remove People's Protection Units (YPG). another group organically linked to the PKK, and Daesh terrorists from Afrin. On March 18, Turkish troops and Free Syrian Army (FSA) members liberated the town of Afrin on the 58th day of the operation. More than 3,800 terrorists were neutralized in the operation.