Turkey out of patience for attacks from N. Syria: President

By Ali Murat Alhas

ANKARA (AA) – The Turkish president on Monday said his country has run out of patience after the latest deadly attack on its police force in northern Syria and harassment targeting his country’s territories.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s comments came at a news conference following a Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Complex in the capital Ankara.

Two Turkish special operation police officers were killed and two others wounded in the Operation Euphrates Shield zone of northern Syria when the YPG, the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terror group, struck an armed vehicle with guided missile.

Erdogan said Ankara is determined to eliminate threats emanating from northern Syria, either itself or with the support of active local forces.

Since 2016, Turkey has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and to enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019).

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.