Displaced civilians in northern Syria are waiting for a Turkish ground operation to clear the region of terrorist groups so they can eventually return to their homes.
Türkiye continues to strike the PKK terrorist organization and its Syrian branch, the YPG, in northern Syria and northern Iraq to prevent terrorist attacks that threaten the security of the borderline and people's safety. It also calls on the United States and Russia to stop supporting terrorists in northern Syria.
The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), which are striking terrorist headquarters and positions in the region with air and land fire support elements, are also counting the days for the ground operation. Determined to push the PKK/YPG terrorist group, which occupies northern Syria, 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) south, Turkish forces are preparing for an operation.
While the TSK and the Syrian National Army (SNA) await their orders for the operation, civilians in Azaz, which is right across Kilis and home to hundreds of thousands of people who fled areas occupied by the PKK/YPG, are waiting for the ground operation to return to their homes.
Hundreds of thousands of civilians living in areas such as Shahba and Tal Rifaat, occupied by the terrorist group PKK/YPG in 2016, left their homes and started to live in safe areas on the Turkish border.
"We want to return home. When the terrorist organization entered Tal Rifaat, it committed a massacre. We fled so as not to live in their captivity. We've been waiting for six years. If there is a ground operation, hundreds of thousands of civilians here will return to their homes," said Mohammed Said Ali, one of many civilians evicted by the PKK/YPG terrorist group.
Salih Shamali, who lives in a tent camp right on the Turkish border, also explained that they have been living in pain for years and said: "The Syrian people have suffered tremendously. One of those who made us experience these pains is the PKK/YPG terrorist organization. They killed our children and separated us from our home. We have been living under olive trees for six years. Our only supporter, our hope, is Türkiye. We want to return home."
The people in Azaz, who are frequently attacked by the PKK/YPG terrorist group, want to live in safety. Karam Isa said that the region was destabilized because of the attacks and added: "The PKK/YPG terrorist organization is constantly attacking Tal Rifaat and its surrounding areas, on Azaz, Afrin and other regions. That's why there is no peace in the region and no security. The only reason for this is the attacks of terrorist organizations. We want to live a safe life here in our city. This will not happen until the end of terrorist organizations such as the PKK/YPG. As the Azaz people, we support the ground operation until the end."
Khaled Nour, who said that the PKK/YPG terrorist group betrayed the Syrian people, said: "PKK/YPG members shot and attacked the Syrian people. They betrayed the Syrian people. Today, they are responsible for hundreds of thousands of civilians living in very difficult conditions in Azaz."
Türkiye will never allow the emergence of a "terror corridor" on its border, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Friday. Akar's comments came a day after the National Security Council (MGK) underlined that Türkiye will not tolerate the presence and activities of any terrorist group in its region.
Recently, Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Sword, a cross-border aerial campaign against the PKK terrorist group and its Syrian wing, the YPG, which have illegal hideouts across the Iraqi and Syrian borders where they plan attacks on Turkish soil.
The country's air operation followed a PKK/YPG terrorist attack on Nov. 13 on Istanbul's crowded Istiklal Street that killed six people and left 81 injured. The Turkish Defense Ministry said the operation was carried out in line with the right of self-defense under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.
After the air operation was launched, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also signaled a ground operation in northern Iraq and northern Syria to eliminate the terrorist threat, adding: "This is not limited to just an air operation."
The president specified northern Syria's YPG-controlled Tal Rifaat, Manbij and Ain al-Arab (Kobani) regions as possible targets to clear of terrorists.
The Turkish leader has threatened a new military operation into northern Syria since May and upped those threats in the wake of this month's attack. Erdoğan has repeatedly called for a 30-kilometer safe zone to protect Türkiye against cross-border attacks from Syrian territory.
"We know the identity, location and track record of the terrorists. We also know very well who patronizes, arms and encourages terrorists," Erdoğan also recently said, referring to the U.S. support for the YPG.
The PKK is a designated terrorist organization in the U.S., Türkiye and the European Union, and Washington's support for its Syrian affiliate has been a major strain on bilateral relations with Ankara. The PKK/YPG has controlled much of northeastern Syria after the forces of Syrian regime leader Bashar Assad withdrew in 2012.
The U.S. primarily partnered with PKK/YPG terrorists in northeastern Syria in its fight against the Daesh terrorist group. On the other hand, Türkiye strongly opposed the PKK/YPG's presence in northern Syria.
Under the pretext of fighting Daesh, the U.S. has provided military training and given truckloads of military support to the PKK/YPG, despite its NATO ally's security concerns. Underlining that one cannot support one terrorist group to defeat another, Türkiye has conducted its counterterrorism operations throughout, removing a significant number of terrorists from the region.
Since 2016, Ankara has launched a trio of successful ground operations against terrorist groups to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018) and Peace Spring (2019).