'Turkey restrains forming of terror state in N.Syria'

ANKARA

Turkey will not allow an establishment of a terror state in northern Syria, Turkish president said Friday, referring to Turkey's anti-terror operation in northern Syria, east of the Euphrates River.

"They [YPG/PKK terrorists] wanted to establish a terror state in northern Syria, but we did not give them the opportunity," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, speaking in the country’s Aegean province of Izmir.

Turkey has found depots in the region storing 32,000-33,000 truck loads of weapons reaching terrorists "from somewhere," said Erdogan, and added: "We're now collecting them [stored weapons]".

Turkish Armed Forces, during the operation, had martyrs "who walked together to the martyrdom" with the Syrian National Army (SNA), which had "20 times more martyrs" compared to the Turkish forces, he said.

Turkey on Oct. 9 launched Operation Peace Spring, to eliminate the terrorist YPG/PKK from northern Syria 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.

Ankara wants YPG/PKK terrorists to withdraw from the region so that a safe zone can be created to pave the way for the safe return of some two million refugees.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the PKK's Syrian offshoot.