Turkey

15 Oct 2019; MEMO: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has today announced the securement of liberated territory for the planned safe zone in Syria, with a length of 444 kilometres and a depth of 32 kilometres.

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish police detained four mayors from a pro-Kurdish party in dawn raids, widening a crackdown since Ankara launched an incursion into northern Syria a week ago, state media and the party said on Tuesday.

The pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) mayors of the Kurdish-majority districts of Hakkari, Yuksekova, Ercis and Nusaybin, near Turkey’s borders with Syria and Iraq, were held over terrorism links, the HDP and Anadolu news agency said, without elaborating.

AKCAKALE, Turkey (AP) — Syrian government troops moved into towns and villages in northeastern Syria on Monday, including the flashpoint region of Manbij, setting up a potential clash with Turkish-led forces advancing in the area as long-standing alliances in the region began to shift or crumble following the pullback of U.S. forces.

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Monday Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters had emptied a jail holding Islamic State prisoners in a part of Syria where Ankara is mounting an offensive, and that the prisoners there had been abducted.

Turkey launched a cross-border operation against the YPG militia in northeastern Syria last week, after U.S. President Donald Trump decided to withdraw forces from two posts in the area in a move that drew strong international criticism.

14 Oct 2019; MEMO: Arms sales bans by the West against Turkey will not stop Ankara’s operation in Syria, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.

The premier said two Turkish soldiers and 16 members of the Syrian National Army had been killed during the operation which was launch on Wednesday.

AKCAKALE, Turkey (AP) — Syria’s Kurds said Syrian government forces agreed Sunday to help them fend off Turkey’s invasion — a major shift in alliances that came after President Donald Trump ordered all U.S. troops withdrawn from the northern border area amid the rapidly deepening chaos.

The shift could lead to clashes between Turkey and Syria and raises the specter of a resurgent Islamic State group as the U.S. relinquishes any remaining influence in northern Syria to President Bashar Assad and his chief backer, Russia.

ISTANBUL, October 13. /TASS/: Provision of the digital sovereignty is a critical aspect of countering current threats, particularly interference in internal affairs of countries, Speaker of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin said at the 3rd conference of parliament speakers on combating terrorism and strengthening regional cooperation.

ANKARA, Oct 13 (NNN-ANADOLU) – Turkey strongly condemned Arab League’s chief, for levelling allegations against the country’s ongoing Operation Peace Spring, east of the Euphrates River in Syria.

CEYLANPINAR, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s military said it captured a key Syrian border town under heavy bombardment Saturday in its most significant gain since an offensive against Kurdish fighters began four days ago, with no sign of relenting despite mounting international criticism.

ANKARA/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Turkish-backed Syrian rebels advanced into Ras al Ain in Syria’s northeast on Saturday but it was unclear how far they had gone with Turkey saying the town center had been taken while Kurdish-led forces denied this and said they were counter-attacking.

The battle for Ras al Ain came as Turkey pursued a four-day-old, cross-border offensive against a Syrian Kurdish militia despite an outcry from the United States and European Union and warnings of possible sanctions unless Ankara desisted.