President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Turkey in new assault on Kurdish militia

Istanbul - Emirates Voice

Turkey Monday intensified its offensive against Kurdish militia targets in Syria as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed there would be no stepping back in a campaign that has stoked concern among Ankara's allies and neighbors. The Turkish military on Saturday launched operation "Olive Branch," its second major incursion into Syrian territory during the seven-year civil war. The operation, where Turkish war planesRead more

Turkey detains 24 over 'terror propaganda'

Istanbul - Emiratesvoice

Turkish authorities have detained 24 people on suspicion of disseminating "terror propaganda" against Turkey's military operation inside Syria, the interior ministry said on Monday. The suspects are being held in a nationwide crackdown on those posting social media messages deemed to be supportive of terror groups, the state-run Anadolu news agency said. The arrests come after President Recep Tayyip ErdoganRead more

Turkish Cypriot paper attacked over Syria 'occupation' headline

Nicosia - Emiratesvoice

Hundreds of protesters Monday demonstrated outside the offices of a Turkish Cypriot newspaper that aroused the ire of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by slamming Ankara's operation inside Syria as an "occupation". The Afrika newspaper -- which is often anti-Ankara and staunchly critical of Erdogan -- wrote on its front page Sunday: "One more occupation from Turkey." This was an ironicRead more

Turkey in new assault on Kurdish militia on Syria

Turkey - Emiratesvoice

Erdogan vows 'no step back' in operation against Kurdish militia in Syria

Ankara - Emiratesvoice

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday vowed that Turkey would not take any step back in its operation against Kurdish militia in Syria's Afrin region, saying the campaign had the backing of Moscow. "We are determined. Afrin will be sorted out. We will take no step back. We spoke about this with our Russian friends. We have an agreement," ErdoganRead more

Reasons, risks and consequences of Turkey's Syria operation

ANKARA - Emiratesvoice

The Turkish military has started an air and ground operation against Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia whom Ankara views as "terrorists" linked to outlawed militants. Turkey's last such cross-border operation -- against the Islamic State extremist group and the Kurdish militia -- was between August 2016 and March 2017. Launched together with Syrian rebels, Turkish officials hailed itsRead more

Erdogan hopes Syria operation to be 'finished in very short time'

Istanbul - Emiratesvoice

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said he hoped Turkey's offensive against Kurdish militia in northern Syria would be completed in "a very short time", as Turkish ground troops entered Syria. "God willing, this operation will be finished in a very short time," Erdogan told supporters in the northwestern Turkish province of Bursa after Turkey launched the campaign to removeRead more

Erdogan says Turkey has launched new ground operation

TURKEY - Emiratesvoice

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that Turkey had “de-facto” launched a new operation on the ground to oust Kurdish militia from a northern Syrian enclave, defying US warnings that the action risked destabilizing the area. Turkey has in recent days sent dozens of military vehicles to the border area and readied pro-Ankara Syria rebels, amid repeated threatsRead more

Turkish troops shell Afrin to oust US-backed Kurdish militia

Turkey - Emiratesvoice

Turkey on Friday started fresh shelling of the Syrian town of Afrin in a move to oust a US-backed Kurdish militia that Ankara considers "terrorists" and vowed to press on with a full-scale operation against them. The Turkish government has repeatedly warned it will strike Syrian towns controlled by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia, including Afrin, after theRead more