Turkey ends military operation inside northern Syria
Baku, March 30, AZERTAC
Turkey on Wednesday (Mar 29) announced its military campaign inside northern Syria was over, without specifying whether it will pull its troops out from the neighboring country, according to Channel News Asia.
Turkey's top advisory national security council chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the half-year long offensive in Syria has been "concluded successfully," in a statement.
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim also said the operation has been completed but did not rule out new military campaigns inside Syria under a different name.
"Euphrates Shield is over. A potential operation from now if needed will take another name," Yildirim told the private NTV television.
It was not immediately clear if that signified a plan to withdraw Turkish troops, or if operations would continue elsewhere under another name.
In August, Turkey launched Operation Euphrates Shield inside Syria targeting Islamic State (IS) militants and Syrian Kurdish militia fighters that Ankara says are "terrorists".
"From now on if there is anything that threatens our security, either Daesh or any other (group) and if we take another action, that will be a new operation," the prime minister said, using an alternative name for IS group.
"Operation Euphrates Shield aimed at ensuring our country's border security and thwarting Daesh terror group's threat and attacks targeting our country ... has been concluded successfully," the National Security Council (MGK) said in a statement after a meeting in Ankara at Erdogan's presidential palace.
