Number of Aleppo evacuees reaches 44,000: Spokesman

By Esra Kaymak Avci

ANKARA

The number of evacuees from Aleppo, Syria to the opposition-held city of Idlib over the last three weeks has reached 44,000 as a result of Turkey's intense diplomatic efforts, Turkey’s presidential spokesman said Monday.

"Currently, every step is being taken to provide basic humanitarian aid to” the Aleppans, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told a press briefing.

He added that 200 of the evacuees have been brought to Turkey for medical treatment.

Kalin said evacuations are continuing amid harsh winter weather and despite some militias’ efforts to thwart it. He added that other countries are not doing enough to support Turkey while the operations continue against Daesh in Azaz-Jarabulus, Dabiq, and Al-Bab, Syria.

Turkish aid agencies, including Kizilay and the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), are providing humanitarian aid as well as making efforts to establish a 10,000-person camp for the evacuees in Idlib, he said.

Meanwhile, 226 Daesh terrorists were neutralized last week and operations continue, Kalin said.

"However, we don't consider this enough," he said. "Our diplomatic engagements with sides continue in order to expand the cease-fire in eastern Aleppo to the whole region."

Goal: Political transition

According to Kalin, Turkey's ultimate aim is to see a political transition process in Syria.

He added that Turkish officials are regularly talking with their counterparts about the issue and to see the Syrian opposition join in the talks.

Turkish officials at all diplomatic levels have discussed having Syrian peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan's capital, according to Kalin, to continue the UN-led talks from Geneva, ongoing without any resolution since 2014.

On the Turkish-led Operation Euphrates Shield in Al-Bab, Kalin said although the operations hope to defeat Daesh, most of the countries criticizing Turkey's anti-Daesh operations in Syria have failed to provide support to Turkey, especially in some major operations, including Al-Bab.

The northern Syrian city of Al-Bab is currently completely surrounded by the Free Syrian Army (FSA) backed by the Turkish Armed Forces, according to Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak.

The operation in Al-Bab is part of the Turkish-led Operation Euphrates Shield which began in late August to improve security, support coalition and the terror threat along Turkey’s border using FSA fighters backed by Turkish artillery and jets. Monday marks the 125th day of the operation.

On last week's assassination of Russia’s ambassador to Turkey, Andrey , Kalin said every sign shows that the murderer, 22-year-old police officer Mevlut Mert Altintas, was clearly linked to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

"FETO and the powers supporting it, could not reach whatever they wanted to reach," he said."Their aim to worsen Turkey-Russia relations and to create another crisis did not succeed."

Karlov died after being shot multiple times at an art exhibition in the Turkish capital while delivering a speech. Altintas was later gunned down in an exchange of fire with security personnel. Police findings show that he is linked to FETO, who is the group behind the failed July 15 coup attempt.