N. Syrian children get first taste of big-screen

By Burak Bir

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's Defense Ministry released a video on Friday showing children watching a movie at a mobile cinema in a Syrian town cleared of terrorists by a Turkish military operation.

In the video, Syrian children in Tal Abyad can be seen thanking the Turkish government and army for returning peace in their hometown.

“With contribution from Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, a cinema session was organized to help Syrian children forget the suffering they had to endure and its effects. They thanked our country and said: 'It's our first time in a cinema, we love you so much',” the ministry said on Twitter.

Saying that schools had opened two months ago, a woman said in the video: "They brought the cinema to Tal Abyad, our children were entertained and became happy. We thank you."

"We really liked the cinema. The cinema is nice. We thank Turkey and the Turkish army. We saw the cinema for the first time," a girl said.

Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring on Oct. 9 to eliminate YPG/PKK terrorists from northern Syria to secure Turkey’s borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees, and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.

Since then, Turkey reached agreements with both the U.S. and Russia to force the terrorist YPG/PKK to withdraw from the planned terror-free zone.

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. The YPG is its Syrian offshoot.