Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a new military operation in northern Syria on Tuesday, saying the Syrian cities of Tall Rifat and Manbij would be cleared of terrorists.
-Â We are entering a new phase of our decision to establish a safe zone 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) deep south (of the Turkish-Syrian border). We are clearing Tall Rifat and Manbij of terrorists – said Erdogan, in his address at the regular weekly meeting of MPs on behalf of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in Ankara, reports Anadolu Agency .
He criticized countries that support the PKK terrorist organization.
-Â Those who transfer weapons to a terrorist organization without compensation, and who do not give them to Turkey for a fee, deserve the title of a terrorist state, not a state governed by the rule of law. Those who call the PKK by letter PYD, YPG, or under the guise of other names seek their legitimacy, are cheating themselves, not us – Erdogan said, adding:
-Â NATO is a security organization, not an organization to support terrorist organizations.
In his address, Erdogan also said that Turkey had terminated the High-Level Strategic Council agreement with Greece.
