Turkish soldiers distribute bread in Syria's Afrin

By Izzet Mazi and Mehmet Akif Parlak

AFRIN, Syria

Turkish soldiers are distributing bread to the people of Syria's Afrin district, which was recently purged of terrorists by the Turkish army’s Operation Olive Branch.

Soldiers have set up a mobile oven outside Afrin’s local council building, which has the capacity to produce 4,000 loaves of bread per day.

When it is time to distribute the bread, Afrin residents stand in long lines in front of the oven.

While waiting in line, Afrin resident Fatma Naif told Anadolu Agency that Turkish soldiers had brought “peace and tranquility” to the liberated city.

Before their arrival, she said, terrorists had seized whatever she had, including her money, telephone and even her wedding ring.

"Thanks to Allah, the Turkish soldiers have come. They even share their bread with us," Naif said.

Local resident Fatma Ali said the people of Afrin were “very happy” that the Turkish soldiers had come on the scene and hoped they would stay in the region.

On Jan. 20, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch with the aim of eliminating YPG/PKK and Daesh terrorists from Afrin.

On Mar. 18, the 58th day of the operation, Turkish troops and the FSA announced that the city had been liberated.

The Turkish Armed Forces are now working to restore everyday life in Afrin by providing badly-needed humanitarian aid.

More than 1,000 terrorists were “neutralized” in March alone, allowing many displaced residents to return to their homes.