Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said yesterday that civilians continue to flee their homes in northwestern Syria's Afrin region because of oppression from the PKK-affiliated People's Protection Units' (YPG) oppression.

"Thirty-nine days have passed in Operation Olive Branch [and] our soldiers resolutely continue the operation. Afrin is encircled with a crescent," Yıldırım said at the parliamentary group meeting of Justice and Development Party (AK Party). He said 60 percent of people in the region have left their homes due to YPG oppression.

In Afrin, which has been under YPG control for the past six years, civilians are expressing their gratitude to the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters for the operation that is expected to put an end to the group's control.

In the clean-up operations, Turkish and FSA fighters cleared explosives installed by YPG terrorists and have provided food aid to civilians returning to their homes.

In the village of Omar Ushaghi near the town of Raju, Asu Mohamed Bekir, a 78-year-old woman who returned home with her daughter-in-law and two grandsons, told Turkey's official Anadolu Agency (AA) on Sunday that YPG terrorists tricked them into fleeing by telling them that Daesh terrorists were coming to take over their village. Avbanu Bekir said that her husband left the village for Turkey before the YPG came and started working there. Bekir said she, her two daughters and her mother-in-law left their homes before the operation and returned five days later.

Navbihar Behram, a mother of two, said she returned home along with her husband and ailing father-in-law. Behram said that she is diabetic and has heart problems, and that soldiers are bringing her medicine from Turkey.

Commenting on the recent United Nations Security Council resolution calling for a humanitarian cease-fire in Syria, Yıldırım said that there are some misunderstandings confusing Turkey's operation with Eastern Ghouta.

Yıldırım said: "The focal point of the U.N.'s decision is to prevent civilian casualties in Eastern Ghouta." Pointing to the differences between Turkey's Afrin operation and Eastern Ghouta, Yıldırım said Turkey's Afrin operation aims to protect civilians from the YPG.

He said that Turkey has never turned a blind eye to the suffering of Syrians and civilian casualties, adding: "Our priority is to protect the territorial integrity of Syria and clear off all the terrorists." He said that Turkey expects the same stance from other countries.

Meanwhile, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahçeli said that it is high time to enter the city center of Afrin and finish off the YPG "in its nest."

At least 2,083 terrorists have been killed in Afrin, the Turkish military said in a statement yesterday.The military also said only terrorist targets are being destroyed and the "utmost care" is being taken to avoid harming civilians.

Stressing that the Turkish military has the full support and trust of the MHP, Bahçeli said during a MHP parliamentary group meeting: "Our belief in victory is exact. The Nationalist Movement Party will continue to stand next to our boys without any compromises. If there is a campaign, we are in. The victory will surely be reached eventually."

Foreign Ministry rejects U.S. claim of talks on Afrin

Pentagon spokesman Adrian Rankine-Galloway said on Monday that Turkey and the U.S. are holding diplomatic talks about de-escalating the situation in Afrin. "There are diplomatic discussions ongoing right now to de-escalate the situation there, in Afrin," Rankine-Galloway told reporters at a press briefing. He added that the U.S. is considering efforts and opportunities to decrease tension in Afrin.

However, answering a question regarding the issue, Turkey's foreign ministry spokesperson said yesterday that there had been no diplomatic talks with the U.S. regarding Syria's Afrin.

In a statement, Hami Aksoy recalled remarks from U.S. State of Secretary Rex Tillerson during his latest visit to Turkey on establishing a bilateral mechanism to solve problems in Syria and giving priority to YPG-held Manbij.

The U.S. cooperation with the PKK-affiliated YPG has been a thorny issue for Turkey. Ankara has repeatedly warned of the repercussions of using one terrorist group to defeat another, while the U.S. has been touting the effective results of its cooperation with the YPG in the fight against Daesh.

YPG policy uncertainties in Washington

The uncertainty in the U.S. policy on PKK's Syrian affiliate has led to confusion in political circles, the president of the Washington-based Turkish Heritage Organization Ali Çınar said.

Çınar said that many members of congress are not clear on what the White House's Syria policy is, and added that he has also received positive messages from U.S. politicians on the value of strengthening relations with Turkey. He highlighted that the attempt to support the YPG in Afrin by the Iran-backed pro-Bashar Assad regime militia was a surprise to the U.S. Çınar also mentioned that, in a meeting last week entitled "A look at Turkish-US relations in 2018," attended by Former U.

S. Ambassador to Ankara James Jeffrey, Senior Director of U.S. Chamber Turkey and Middle East Affairs Jennifer Miel, and retired Congressman Ed Whitfield, it was also underlined that the U.S. was making a mistake by partnering with the YPG in Syria.