Together with the Syrian National Army, the Turkish Armed Forces has launched the Operation Spring of Peace against the terrorist organizations PKK/YPG and DAESH on 9 October 2019 in northern Syria.
The terrorist organizations PKK/PYD-YPG occupied some of Syria’s energy resources and they aim to transfer this oil and gas that they occupied to the Mediterranean sea via Hatay by establishing a “terror corridor“ under the name of “energy corridor“. With this operation Turkey wants to ensure the security of it’s territory permanently, by preventing the formation of this corridor. Also in the recent past many civilians were wounded by the rockets and mortar bombs that were fired at Turkey’s land by the PYD/PKK terrorists. The PYD/PKK terrorists who opened a large number of harassing fires towards the Turkish side, carries out attacks by infiltrating frequently from the occupied Tel Rifat to Afrin and Euphrates Shield regions. Again In 2016-2018, 5 tunnels which were excavated by the PYD/PKK terrorists, with lengths of 35 meters and 400 meters opening to the Qamishli area of Syria from Nusaybin district of Mardin were closed by the security forces.
Turkey aims to terminate the attacks of the the terrorist organization PYD/PKK with this military operation carried out in the eastern Euphrates. In addition, the Turkmens, Arabs and Kurds lived together in this region before the PYD/PKK occupation. The PYD/PKK terrorist organization is changing the demographic structure of the region by expelling the Arabs, Turkmens and Kurds in the region who are opposing them. While many religious groups are exiled, all opposing tribes were largely damaged. Turkey anticipates the restoration of the demographic structure of the region and to ensure security with this campaign.
Another aim of the operation is to create a safe zone in Syria and to return the Syrian asylum seekers, who live densely in Turkey and Europe, to their homeland. In the case of the operation being successful, asylum seekers will be placed in this safe region without worries for their life and property. This will be beneficial in terms of both reinstatement of asylum seekers to their homeland and in terms of their ultimate relief from increasing refugee hatred as well as in terms of significantly diminishing the responsibilities of the European countries they have to fulfill towards asylum seekers. In this way, the social and economic arguments of the right-wing currents rising especially in Europe, in relation to asylum seekers will be eliminated.
On the other hand within the scope of the international law and the UN Charter, Turkey has the right to carry out this operation and does not violate the UN’s prohibition on the use of force; on the contrary, it is realizing this operation to protect the integrity of the soil of Syria.
On the other hand, the Turkish Army fulfills all the responsibilities that is required by International Humanitarian Law, towards the civilian population living in the region. Through this operation, Syria’s territorial integrity will be ensured and and the civilian population in the region will be relieved ofpressure from terrorist organizations. Peace and tranquility will be brought back to the region.
We as UID, support this move of the Republic of Turkey and expect the international community to support this operation in the name of humanity and solidarity.
Bülent Bilgi
President of the UID