'Safe zone in N.Syria to allow 2M Syrians return home'

By Adem Demir

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish vice president said on Monday that safe zone in northern Syria will allow nearly two million Syrian refugees to return to their homes.

Speaking at Yildiz Teknik University in Istanbul, Fuat Oktay said Turkey cleared 65 settlements including Syria’s Tal Abyad and Ras Al-Ayn city centers of terrorists.

He noted that his country provides all basic services such as health, education, housing, road, electricity and water to Syrian people in safe zone without any discrimination and with no expectation in return.

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

On Oct. 17, Turkey agreed to pause the operation east of the Euphrates River in Syria for 120 hours to allow the withdrawal of YPG/PKK terrorists from the planned safe zone.

* Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev and Zehra Nur Duz