ISTANBUL 

The planned safe zone in northern Syria will allow nearly two million Syrian refugees to return their homes, Turkey’s vice president said on Monday.

Speaking at Yildiz Teknik University in Istanbul, Fuat Oktay said Turkey cleared 65 Syrian settlements, including district centers of Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ayn, of terrorists during its counter-terrorism offensive in northern Syria.

The terrorists will abandon the area by leaving their arms until the 120-hour pause of Ankara's counter-terror offensive ends, Oktay said, and stressed: "They have no other choice."

Turkey on Oct. 9 launched Operation Peace Spring to eliminate terrorists east of the Euphrates River in order to secure Turkey's borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees and ensure Syria's territorial integrity.

On Oct. 17, Turkey agreed to pause its Syria operation for 120 hours to allow the withdrawal of YPG/PKK terrorists from the planned safe zone.

Oktay said that Turkey provides all basic services such as health, education, housing, road, electricity, and water to Syrian people resettled in areas liberated from terrorism after Turkey’s Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch operations in northwestern Syria have liberated the region from YPG/PKK and Daesh terrorists since 2016. 

The senior official also said that Turkey makes and will do all kind of contribution to a solution based on the territorial integrity and political unity of Syria.

"We will continue to work without fear and getting tired to ensure the stability of our country and our region by eradicating the terror," Oktay said.

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.