'Claims against Turkey's anti-terror push are weak'

BRUSSELS

The arguments being made against Turkey's anti-terror operation in northeastern Syria do not hold up under close examination, according to a Turkish diplomat serving in Europe.

Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring against the terrorist YPG/PKK is being targeted by an “information war,” Zeki Levent Gumrukcu, Turkey's ambassador to Brussels, told Anadolu Agency.

Gumrukcu said the concerns in Belgium over Turkey's operation are not "realistic."

"When we explain Turkey's arguments to our counterparts, we see that the other side’s contentions disappear," he stressed.

The claims made against Turkey are not well-thought out, are ignorant of the issue and the region, or are just ill-intentioned, he said.

Turkey is taking the utmost care not to harm any civilians or civilian infrastructure, he said.

Turkey has even presented the results of its two previous anti-terror operations in northwestern Syria -- Operations Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch, since 2016 -- showing their success through photos and data.

"Turkey, actually, is the last country which could be criticized for a humanitarian crisis resulting from its operations," Gumrukcu said, referring to the peace and stability in areas liberated previously by Turkey.

Turkey's borders and security means the security of NATO and even the EU, he said.

Turkey on Oct. 9 launched Operation Peace Spring to secure its borders by eliminating terrorist groups there, to ensure the safe return of Syrian refugees and Syria’s territorial integrity.

Ankara wants to clear northern Syria east of the Euphrates of the terrorist PKK and its Syrian offshoot, the PYD/YPG.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the European Union -- has been responsible for deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.

* Writing by Fatih Hafiz Mehmet in Ankara