Syrian Turkmen see first step towards peace

By Halil Fidan

GAZIANTEP, Turkey

The Turkey-backed operation to retake Jarabulus in northern Syria form Daesh was the “first step of Syrian peace”, the president of the Syrian Turkmen Assembly said Friday.

Emin Bozoglan told journalists in the southeastern Turkish province of Gaziantep that Operation Euphrates Shield was a move to “create a Republic of Democratic Syria” so Turkmen, Kurds, Arabs and other ethnicities could “live together in peace”.

He added: “Turkey, Iran and Russia have started to create a political bloc and, with this move, the U.S. has taken a step back from its plan to partition Syria.”

The operation was launched early Wednesday to remove terrorists from the area to the south of the Turkish border.