Turkey never used chemical weapons in its operations in Syria, and takes the utmost care of civilians, a Turkish diplomatic source said, after YPG/PKK terrorists and a monitoring group accused it of carrying out a gas attack in Syria's Afrin region.
"These are baseless accusations. We take utmost care about civilians in Operation Olive Branch," the source said.
Turkey never used chemical weapons, officials also told Daily Sabah over the phone.
The source also described the accusations of wounding six civilians through a suspected gas attack as "black propaganda".
Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch on Jan. 20 to neutralize terrorist groups and provide security and stability along Turkey's southern borders with Syria as well as in the region.
According to the Turkish General Staff, the operation aims to establish security and stability along Turkish borders and in the region as well as to protect Syrian people from the oppression and cruelty of terrorists.
The operation is being carried out under the framework of Turkey's rights within international law, U.N. Security Council resolutions, its right to self-defense under the U.N. charter and respect for Syria's territorial integrity, it said.
The military also said, "utmost importance" is being placed on not harming any civilians.
Afrin has been a major hideout for the Democratic Unity Party (PYD) and its armed wing YPG since July 2012 when the Assad regime in Syria left the city to the terror group without putting up a fight.
