Georgian citizens back Turkey's Afrin operation

By Davit Kachkachishvili

TIBLISI, Georgia (AA) - Georgian citizens of Azerbaijani descent rallied outside the Turkish embassy in capital Tiblisi on Monday in solidarity with Turkey’s ongoing Afrin operation.

The group carried Turkish and Azerbaijani flags as they chanted, “Martyrs are immortal, our land is indivisible.”

Anar Nurmamedov told Anadolu Agency: “We gathered here to show our support for Turkey’s operation to clear out terrorists from its border."

Azerbaijani student Kenan Babayev also expressed his support for the operation.

On Jan. 20, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch along with Free Syrian Army (FSA) to clear PYD/PKK and Daesh terrorists from Afrin, northwestern Syria.

As the operation entered its 10th day, the Turkish General Staff announced that at least 597 PYD/PKK and Daesh terrorists have been "neutralized" since the beginning of Operation Olive Branch in Syria.

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

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

The military also said only terror targets were being destroyed and that "utmost importance and sensitivity" was being given to not harm any civilian.

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