Ottoman military band performs at Turkey-Syria border

By Lale Koklu

HATAY, Turkey (AA) - The Ottoman military band, Mehter, performed in the border province of Hatay for soldiers taking part in Turkey’s Operation Olive Branch in Syria's Afrin on Monday.

Mehter, the oldest military band of its kind in the world, performed in Hatay's Reyhanli district along the Turkish-Syrian border. Hatay metropolitan municipality organized the performance as a show of support for Turkish troops.

Some soldiers filmed the performance with their mobile phones, which included a number of anthems such as “Conquest” and “Malazgirt”. Later, soldiers took pictures with the band at the end of the concert.

On Saturday, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch to remove PYD/PKK and Daesh terrorists from Afrin.

According to the Turkish General Staff, the operation aims to establish security and stability along Turkish borders and the region as well as to protect the Syrian people from the oppression and cruelty of terrorists.

The operation was being carried out under the framework of Turkey’s rights based on international law, UN Security Council’s decisions, self-defense rights under the UN charter and respect to Syria's territorial integrity, it said.

The military also said "utmost importance" was being given to not harm any civilian.

Afrin has been a major hideout for the PYD/PKK since July 2012 when the Assad regime in Syria left the city to the terror group without putting up a fight.