Thursday April 25, 2024

Turkey rejects European Parliament motion

EP for end of Turkey´s military operation in Afrin

Published : 15 Mar 2018, 21:12

  DF-Xinhua Report
Soldier are seen in a Turkish armored vehicle in Afrin, Syria, on Jan. 22, 2018. Turkey launched on Jan. 20 a new operation dubbed as "Operation Olive Branch" on the ground to oust Kurdish militia from Syria's Afrin. File Photo Xinhua.

The European Parliament approved the motion on March 15.

The motion stated that the parliament is "seriously worried about the escalating situation in Afrin."

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday rejected the European Parliament's motion calling Turkey to end its military operation in northern Syria's Kurdish enclave of Afrin.

Speaking at an award ceremony in Ankara, Erdogan said the European Parliament is calling Turkey to withdraw from Syria's Afrin, but all such efforts would be in vain.

"Do not get your hopes up. We will not get out of there [Afrin] until our work is done," Erdogan said.

"The European Parliament cannot say a word to Turkey [about the ongoing Operation Olive Branch]," Erdogan said.

A total of 3,525 terrorists have been "neutralized" since the start of Operation Olive Branch in Afrin, the president said, adding that to take the city center of Afrin is just "a matter of time."

On Tuesday, Turkish military announced its army and allied FSA forces have encircled Afrin, achieving a significant advance during its eight-week-long operation.