Afrin: So-called monument of PKK head Ocalan destroyed

By Sinan Uslu

ANKARA (AA) - A Turkish unmanned air vehicle destroyed PKK head Abdullah Ocalan's so-called 'monument' in Syria's Afrin on Wednesday, as part of Operation Olive Branch, according to military sources.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, said the so-called 'monument' was destroyed by indigenously made drone.

The so-called 'monument' was built by the PYD/PKK terrorists at the southern hillside of Darmiq Mountain in Afrin, the sources added.

Abdullah Ocalan, who is the convicted head of the PKK terrorist group, has been jailed in Turkey since 1999.

The PYD/PKK is the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terrorist group, which has been designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU.

On Jan. 20, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch along with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) to clear PYD/PKK and Daesh terrorists from Afrin, northwestern Syria.

The operation is being carried out under the framework of Turkey's rights based on international law, UN Security Council resolutions, its self-defense rights under the UN charter, and respect for Syria's territorial integrity.