By Omer Aydin

PARIS 

Turkey is the strongest ally both in terms of European security and the larger region, and Europe will realize this, according to Turkey’s foreign minister.

In a guest op-ed in French daily Le Monde titled, "Turkey, indispensable ally for the security of Europe" Mevlut Cavusoglu said it is the priority of Turkey, which shares borders with Europe and NATO’s border to the Middle East, to remove all sorts of terrorist elements.

“Operation Olive Branch, which is being carried out against the [terrorist] PKK/PYD/YPG and its partner in fate Daesh, will continue till we achieve this goal,” wrote Cavusoglu, referring to the Turkish-led counter-terrorist operation in Afrin, northwestern Syria.

“Today, the counter-Turkey rhetoric seen in the West is a partial reflection of the rise of hatred towards Islam and the xenophobia fueled by Western extremists using the flow of migration as tools,” he said.

Cavusoglu added: “Our allies will realize that in terms of Europe and regional security, Turkey is the strongest ally and it will continue to be so.”

Attacks on Turkish buildings in Europe and anti-Turkish demonstrations intensified after Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch on Jan. 20 to remove the PYD/PKK and Daesh terrorists from Afrin, northwestern Syria.

Turkish-backed troops liberated the town of Afrin, the region’s center, early on Sunday.