Several parts of north-eastern Syria have been bombed by Turkish warplanes during the offensive which is classified as a new conflict between the Turkish forces and the Kurds in Syria.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a statement in which he said that the action was intended to create a safe zone cleared of Kurdish militias which will also house Syrian refugees.
According to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic forces, two civilians died in the locations that were attacked. They also said that they will resist any Turkish advance across the border.
They also asked the United States coalition to establish a no-fly zone in the area to stop the attacks on civilians.
According to BBC, the Kurds – key US allies in defeating IS in Syria – guard thousands of IS fighters in prisons and camps in areas under their control and it is unclear whether they will continue to be safely detained. The offensive was launched just days after President Donald Trump controversially withdrew US troops from the border area, a decision announced after a phone call with Recep Tayyip Erdogan that was widely condemned at home and abroad.
Trump threatened to obliterate the economy of Turkey if they go off-limits in the incursion and issued a statement in which he said that the United States will not endorse this attack and has made it clear to Turkey that this operation is a bad idea.
On the other hand, Erdogan tweeted that the mission was to prevent the creation of a terror corridor across the southern border and to bring peace to the area and he vowed to preserve Syria’s territorial integrity and liberate local communities from terrorists.
An emergency meeting of the UN Security Council about the situation has been requested from the United Kingdom and France. Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of the European Commission urged Turkey to halt this offensive.
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