Erdoğan says Turkey's operations in Syria to continue further east

Turkey's military operations in Syria will continue further east until several towns stretching hundreds of miles (km) towards the Iraqi border have been cleared of militants, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Monday.

Speaking in Ankara a day after Turkish forces and their rebel allies stormed the northwestern Syrian town of Afrin, Erdoğan said Turkey would also target regions around Manbij, Qamishli, Ayn al-Arab and Ras al-Ain.

Erdoğan also said Turkey would carry out an offensive against the PKK terror group in northern Iraq if Baghdad does not clear the region of them.

Moreover, he said 3,622 terrorists had been "neutralized" since the beginning of Operation Olive Branch in northwestern Syria's Afrin.

Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralized" in their statements to imply the terrorists in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.

"We have eliminated most of the terror corridor in the region," Erdoğan also said.

Erdoğan also hinted at another operation against the PKK terror group in the Iraqi city of Sinjar.

"We can suddenly come over one night in Iraq's Sinjar and eliminate PKK terrorists there," the president said.

In mid-2014, the PKK managed to establish a foothold in Sinjar on the pretext that it was "protecting" the local Ezidi community from the Daesh terrorist group.

Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch on Jan. 20 to clear terrorist groups from Afrin in northwestern Syria amid growing threats posed from the region.

On Sunday, Turkish-backed troops liberated the town of Afrin, which had been a major hideout for the PYD/PKK since 2012.

According to the Turkish General Staff, Operation Olive Branch has aimed to establish security and stability along Turkey's borders and the region as well as protect Syrians from terrorist cruelty and oppression.

The operation is being carried out under the framework of Turkey's rights based on international law, UN Security Council resolutions, its self-defense rights under the UN charter, and respect for Syria's territorial integrity, it said.

The military has also said that only terrorist targets are being destroyed and "utmost care" is being taken to avoid harming any civilians.
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Turkey will ask the European Union about the remainder of 3 billion euro ($3.69 billion) funding granted for Syrian refugees living in Turkey during the meeting in the Bulgarian city of Varna next week, Erdoğan said on Monday.

Erdoğan said Turkey has only received 850 million euros of the agreed first tranche of funding promised by the EU to help hosting around 3.5 million refugees. Another 3 billion euros is due to be approved this month.