Turkish forces have killed at least 342 Kurdish fighters in a major military operation in northeast Syria, now in its third day, Turkey’s defence ministry says.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the offensive is aimed at removing Kurdish-led forces from the border area and creating a « safe zone » so millions of Syrian refugees can be returned.
The move came after the United States announced it was withdrawing its troops from the region, leaving the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), its main ally in the battle against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) armed group, without US military support.
Turkey’s defence ministry confirmed the first fatality among Turkey’s soldiers on Friday, while heavy clashes between Turkish forces and the SDF are under way in the Syrian border towns.
Here are the latest updates:
Friday, October 11
Kurds evacuate camp housing 7,000 displaced Syrians
The autonomous Kurdish administration in northeast Syria it started evacuating a camp housing 7,000 displaced people to protect them from Turkish shelling.
The Mabroka camp, which lies 12 kilometres (seven miles) south of the border, was hit by shelling « which posed a direct threat to the lives of more than 7,000 displaced people, » a statement said.
The civilians are due to be transferred to a camp known as Arisha, which is located further south in a region that has not been targeted by Turkey.
Pakistan’s PM backs Turkey operation
Imran Khan, Pakistan’s prime minister, has offered rare backing for Turkey’s offensive in Syria.
A Pakistani government statement said Khan called Erdogan to express « support and solidarity ». He told the Turkish president that « Pakistan fully understands Turkey’s concerns relating to terrorism » as it has lost 40,000 people in acts of terrorism in recent years.
Khan said he is praying that « Turkey’s efforts for enhanced security, regional stability and peaceful resolution of the Syrian situation are fully successful ».
Erdogan is due to visit Pakistan later this month.
More than 70,000 people displaced in northeast Syria: WFP
The World Food Programme (WFP) said that more than 70,000 people have already fled the escalating violence since Turkey launched its military operation into northern Syria on Wednesday.
The mass displacement occurred in the Al-Hasakeh and Al-Raqqa provinces, a spokesman for the United Nations‘ agency said in Geneva.
He reminded the warring parties that the UN requires access to 650,000 people in northeast Syria who rely on food aid.
Four Turkish allies killed in SDF attack
At least four Syrian rebel allies of the Turkish army have been killed in an ambush by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Syria, Anadolu Agency reported.
The agency said the ambush took place in the Dadat village in the district of Tal Abyad, one of the Syrian border towns.
Turkey defence minister: 342 ‘terrorists’ killed by army
A total of 342 fighters from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have been « neutralised » since the start of Turkey’s military operation in northern Syria, Turkey’ defence minister said on Friday.
Hulusi Akar’s comments came after his meeting with top military officials in Turkey’s capital Ankara, where he said « every kind of measures have been taken » in operation areas.
Akar said the military operation continues « successfully as planned ».
« We give the utmost importance to not only the security of our country and people, but also to the ethnic groups – Kurdish, Arabic, Assyrian, Christian, Ezidis and Keldani people – as well, » he said.
Meanwhile, the SDF said 22 of its fighters were killed on Wednesday and Thursday by Turkey and Syrian rebel allies.
Putin says Turkish operation in Syria threatens to revive IS threat
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Turkey’s military operation in Syria could lead to the revival of the ISIL group in the region.
Putin said Kurds who were guarding thousands of imprisoned ISIL fighters are now fleeing.
« I’m not sure whether the Turkish army will be able to take this under control – and how soon, » Putin said in televised remarks on a visit to Turkmenistan. « This is a real threat to us. »
« How will they be moving and to where? » he asked of the ISIL fighters. « Through Turkish territory? Through other territories? »
« We should simply understand this, know and mobilise the resources of our security services to neutralise this emerging new threat, » he added, without giving more detail.
EU’s Tusk slams Erdogan threat of new refugee surge
European Council President Donald Tusk has condemned as attempted « blackmail » Friday a threat by the Turkish president to allow millions of refugees to head to Europe if the bloc criticises Ankara’s offensive in Syria.
« Turkey must understand that our main concern is that their actions may lead to another humanitarian catastrophe, which would be unacceptable, » Tusk said on a visit to European Union member Cyprus.
« Nor will we ever accept that refugees are weaponised and used to blackmail us. That is why I consider yesterday’s threats made by President Erdogan totally out of place, » he added.
Under a 2016 agreement with the EU, Turkey agreed to prevent refugees from leaving towards Europe in exchange for six billion euros ($6.63bn) and visa-free travel for its citizens, but has frequently criticised the lack of assistance from Brussels.
MSF: Turkey offensive forces hospital shutdowns
The Turkish military campaign in northeast Syria has displaced civilians and led to the closure of some main hospitals there, the medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) says.
« With healthcare services already struggling to meet the needs of the population, displacement and injuries caused by fighting are likely to put additional pressure on the existing limited resources in hospitals, » Robert Onus, the MSF emergency manager for Syria, said.
Shelling has forced a main MSF-supported hospital in the Syrian border town of Tal Abyad to close as most of the medical staff left the area with their families, the charity says in a statement.
« As the only public hospital in the area, Tal Abyad hospital was critical to meeting the health needs of the town and surrounding areas, » it adds.
أطباء بلا حدود سوريا
✔@MSF_Syria
أجبر القصف غالبية سكان بلدة تل أبيض في #الرقة على مغادرتها خوفاً على حياتهم، وتم إغلاق مستشفى تل أبيض الذي كانت تدعمه أطباء بلا حدود بسبب مغادرة معظم أفراد الطاقم الطبي مع عائلاتهم. انتقلت فرق أطباء بلا حدود لتلبية الاحتياجات في أجزاء أخرى من المنطقة #نبع_ِالسلام @msf_arabic
Translation: The shelling has forced the majority of the residents of Tal Abyad town to leave for fear of their lives. The Tal Abyad hospital, which was supported by MSF, was closed because most medical staff have left with their families. MSF teams have been transferred to meet humanitarian needs in other parts of the region.
NATO chief calls on Turkey to show ‘restraint’
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg expressed « serious concerns » on Friday about Turkey’s ongoing operation against Kurdish forces in Syria and called for « restraint ».
« I shared … my serious concerns about this ongoing operation and the risk of further destabilisation of the region, » Stoltenberg told reporters in Istanbul, speaking alongside Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
« While Turkey has serious security concerns, we expect Turkey to act with restraint. »
Stoltenberg also said the offensive should not undermine gains against ISIL.
« These gains must not be jeopardised. An imminent concern is that captured Daesh prisoners must not be allowed to escape, » he said, using the Arabic acronym for the ISIL.
64,000 people displaced in northeast Syria: IRC
The International Rescue Committee aid organisation said 64,000 people have reportedly fled their homes in northeast Syria, along the border with Turkey, and warned that the number could increase drastically.
« If the offensive continues, it’s possible a total of 300,000 people could be displaced to already overstretched camps and towns still recovering from the fight against IS [ISIL], » communications director for IRC Misty Buswell said.
Human Rights Watch agreed, saying that while the extent of the Turkish military operation is not yet known, any major offensive is likely to displace thousands of more people, straining a humanitarian response that is already at its limits.
According to the UN, at least 700,000 of the 1.7 million people in northeast Syria need humanitarian assistance.
Buswell said the IRC teams « remain on the ground » and are « committed to supporting those newly displaced alongside people in the region who were already reliant on humanitarian aid ».
Turkey defence ministry: 277 ‘terrorists’ killed in offensive
The Turkish defence ministry said 49 more « terrorists » were « neutralised » in the military operation, in reference to Syrian Kurdish fighters, putting the total number of Kurdish fighters killed since the offensive began at 277.
According to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), at least 16 of its members – along with six additional fighters of unknown identity – were confirmed killed, and another 33 wounded.
Turkish soldier killed during Syria operation: Defence ministry
Turkey has reported the first death of one of its soldiers in its operation in northern Syria, during clashes with a Kurdish militia following a day of heaving shelling on both sides.
Three more soldiers were injured in the « operation region », the defence ministry said in a statement after the clashes on Thursday, without giving further detail.
dokuz8NEWS@dokuz8_ENTurkish soldier Ahmet Topçu lost his life during the Operation Peace Spring in Syria. pic.twitter.com/zrkOYyYLCZ
Trump: Turkey-Kurdish mediation is one of three US options
US President Donald Trump said mediating a deal between Turkey and the Kurds is one of the three options available to the US after Turkey’s offensive in northeast Syria.
« We have one of three choices: Send in thousands of troops and win Militarily, hit Turkey very hard Financially and with Sanctions, or mediate a deal between Turkey and the Kurds! » Trump said in a Twitter post.
Donald J. Trump
✔@realDonaldTrump
We defeated 100% of the ISIS Caliphate and no longer have any troops in the area under attack by Turkey, in Syria. We did our job perfectly! Now Turkey is attacking the Kurds, who have been fighting each other for 200 years….
Donald J. Trump
✔@realDonaldTrump
….We have one of three choices: Send in thousands of troops and win Militarily, hit Turkey very hard Financially and with Sanctions, or mediate a deal between Turkey and the Kurds!
US: Turkey to be penalised if it acts ‘inhumanely’ against civilians in Syria
The US will take action against Turkey if it engages in any « inhumane and disproportionate » moves against civilians during its incursion into northeast Syria, a senior State Department official said.
« That would include ethnic cleansing, it would include in particular indiscriminate artillery air and other fires directed at civilian population. That’s what we’re looking at right now. We haven’t seen significant examples of that so far, » the official said.