Erdogan declared full control over the center of Afrina

Turkish military fully control the Syrian city of Afrin, said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Operation Ankara "Olive Branch", directed against Syrian Kurds, began on February 20

The Turkish army received full control over the center of the city of Afrin in Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, the Haberturk newspaper reported.

"The Afrina Center was fully controlled [by our military] by 08:30 am. Downtown Afrin is no longer under the control of terrorists, "Erdogan said.

Afrin is a Syrian city located in the north-west of Syria, near the border with Turkey. He was controlled by the Kurdish militia: the military wing of the Democratic Union (PYD) party, which Ankara accuses of having links with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Both parties in Turkey are classified as terrorist organizations.

Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch, directed against Syrian Kurds, on January 20. In the battles for Afrin also participated loyal Ankara detachments of the "Syrian Free Army" (SSA). By March 13, Afrin was surrounded.

The Syrian authorities consider Ankara's military operation to be an aggression against Damascus. Deputy Prime Minister Faisal Mekdad promised to shoot down Turkish military aircraft on the eve of the beginning of the Turkish campaign, if they enter the airspace of the country.

In the middle, a number of Syrian media reported that the Kurdish forces were trying to negotiate with Damascus about the introduction of a government army into the city to protect it from the Turkish military. However, an agreement on this was never reached - from the very beginning of the Syrian conflict the Kurds supported the struggle against President Bashar Assad and formed an autonomous government in the north of the country.

The Syrian pro-government militia, which went to Afrin to help the Kurds, retreated, not reaching the city because of the shelling of the Turkish military. Erdogan then said that some "Shiite militia" and "terrorists" tried to break into Afrin.

Link: https://www.rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/5aae26549a7947fad5f8693b