Turkey’s defence minister has said there can be no turning back from his country’s decision to launch a ground assault on a Syrian Kurdish-controlled enclave in north-west Syria, with sporadic shelling of the area already under way. Nurettin Canikli told Turkey’s A Haber television that the Syrian Kurdish fighters in Afrin and other Kurdish-controlled territories pose a "real" and ever-increasing threat to Turkey. "This operation will take place; the terror organisation will be cleansed," Mr Canikli said, in reference to the Syrian Kurdish group, the People’s Protection Units (YPG). Turkish officials claim this group is an extension of an outlawed Kurdish rebel group which is fighting inside Turkey. In a stark warning to Turkey, Syria said its air defence would shoot down any Turkish jets carrying out attacks within Syria.

Source: Evening echo January 19, 2018 11:48 UTC