Anadolu Agency's editor-in-chief visits Turkey's SE

By Rauf Maltas

SANLIURFA, Turkey (AA) - Anadolu Agency’s deputy director-general and editor-in-chief on Wednesday visited Turkey’s border province of Sanliurfa to show his solidarity with Anadolu Agency reporters covering Turkey's ongoing counter-terrorism operation.

Metin Mutanoglu spoke to TRT, NTV and Tvnet news channels about activities of Anadolu Agency in the operation zone and in the general directorate regarding Operation Peace Spring.

Mutanoglu also visited Anadolu Agency reporters who are covering the operation from Akcakale district of southeastern Sanliurfa province.

He visited the region to show his solidarity with Anadolu Agency’s reporters and provide them with moral support.

Anadolu Agency established a special team to share accurate information and visual materials with the entire world amid the smear propaganda against Turkey on social media, he said.

In this way, we countered the terrorist organization’s smear propaganda in a fast and effective way, he added.

Mutanoglu also met with TRT Director General Ibrahim Eren and they exchanged views on the activities of Anadolu Agency and TRT regarding Turkey's ongoing operation.

On Oct. 9, Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring east of the Euphrates River in northern Syria to secure its borders by eliminating terrorist elements and to ensure the safe return of Syrian refugees and Syria’s territorial integrity.

Ankara wants to eliminate terrorist elements of the PKK and its Syrian offshoot, the YPG, from the region.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union -- has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.

* Writing by Davut Demircan