Turkey to 'destroy' terror nests in Syria: Erdogan

By Muhammet Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA (AA) - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Turkey would "destroy" all terror nests in Syria one by one, starting with the Afrin and Manbij regions.

At his ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party's parliamentary group meeting on Tuesday, Erdogan recalled Turkey's successful seven-month Operation Euphrates Shield, which ended in March 2017.

"In a short span of time, we will destroy all terror nests one by one in Syria, starting from Afrin and Mambij regions," said Erdogan.

"Those who stabbed us in the back appearing like our allies [...] cannot prevent it."

The president called on the NATO to fulfill its responsibilities with regards to its partners.

Erdogan told AK Party members that Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar was in Brussels to attend Tuesday NATO's meeting for defense heads.

"NATO! You are obliged to take a stand against those who harass the borders of one of your partners," he said.

Following the group meeting, Erdogan gave further details about the Afrin operation to reporters.

He said the Turkish army would conduct the operations with Syrian opposition.

"This fight is made for them. We are helping our brothers there so that they can protect their own territories," said Erdogan.

On Saturday, Turkish security forces hit several PKK/PYD targets in Afrin to prevent a "terror corridor" from forming along Turkey's borders.

The Afrin operation will follow Turkey's successful seven-month Operation Euphrates Shield, which ended in March 2017.

The coalition had issued a written statement to some media outlets earlier on Sunday, wherein it said that it was working with the SDF to set up and train a Syrian border protection force.

Turkey has long protested the U.S. support for the PKK/PYD, the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terrorist organization, and its military wing PYG, while Washington sees it as a "reliable ally" in its fight against Daesh in Syria.

Listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU, the PKK has waged a terror campaign against Turkey for more than 30 years.

Afrin, a district of Aleppo near the Turkish-Syria border, is under siege by the PKK/PYD terrorist organization.