Erdoğan: Purpose of Afrin Operation is to Send Syrians Home

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President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a speech in Amasya yesterday (January 28) after Çorum.

Speaking about Afrin, Erdoğan clarified his statement in Çorum that “We have 20 martyrs as the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and Mehmetçik [soldier of Turkish Armed Forces (TAF)]”: Erdoğan said seven TAF members died.

 “So far 484 terrorists have been neutralized. We have 20 martyrs in total. Seven of them are our Mehmet, the rest are from the FSA. We will determinately walk on this path”.

Erdoğan said Burseya mountain was captured

Commenting on Afrin operation, Erdoğan said:

“Our Mehmet is marching towards Afrin. They conquered the Burseya Mountain”.

State-run Anadolu Agency reported yesterday that the TAF captured Burseya Mountain.

The TAF had said that the missiles and rockets were being launched from Burseya Mountain and it was a front controlling the region due to its mounted position.

“We don’t go in for land in Afrin”

In response to criticism that the operation is an “invasion”, Erdoğan said that their purpose is to send the Syrians in Turkey back to their homes:

“We will teach them who is invader, who is hospitable. Why do we go into Afrin? We don’t go in Afrin for land. We don’t have eye on Syrian soil but 3.5 millions of Syrians are our guests on our soil. We are working to send them back to their homes”. (HK/TK)