Operation Olive Branch

The biggest problem between Turkey and the United States is the latter's continued support to the YPG in eastern Syria, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has said, calling on its NATO ally to revise its decision to impose sanctions on the Turkish defense industry body over the acquisition of the Russian S-400 systems.

A Turkish soldier was killed in the southeastern Hakkari province, the country's Defense Ministry said on Aug. 28.

Infantry Ümit Çıkın, who lost his balance and fell in a position where he was on duty in the Şemdinli district, was killed on Aug. 28, the ministry's office of press and public relations said in a statement.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed developments in Libya in a phone call on June 8, according to Turkey's Communications Directorate.

The directorate said in a statement that the leaders exchanged views on bilateral relations and regional developments, including the Libyan crisis.

Turkey has neutralized over 1,300 terrorists across five different operation areas since the beginning of 2020, the country's national defense minister said.

Turkey currently hosts 3.58 million Syrians, while over 400,000 have returned to their country, according to official Interior Ministry figures released on May 5. 

Turkey on April 29 slammed a statement by the European External Action Service on the recent terrorist attack by the YPG/PKK in Afrin, northwestern Syria.

Fahrettin Altun, the country's communications director, said on Twitter that the press release by the European Union's diplomatic service shows the union still has not adopted the right stance in the fight against terrorism.

At least 40 civilians, including 11 children, were killed on April 28 in a YPG/PKK terrorist attack in northwestern Syria, Turkey's Defense Ministry said.

At least 47 others were also wounded in the attack in the Afrin city center carried out using a bomb-rigged fuel tanker, the ministry said in a tweet.

Turkish officials and international leaders condemned a terrorist attack by the YPG in Afrin in northwestern Syria that killed dozens of civilians, including children on April 28.

Hundreds and thousands of displaced Syrians have started to return to their homes in war-ravaged Idlib province, after the cease-fire was ensured in the province, according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency.

Mohamed al-Hallaj, director of the Response Coordinators Team, told Anadolu Agency that over 100,000 Syrians, who were staying at camps, returned to their homes.

Turkey's National Defense Ministry on April 8 said a total of eight YPG/PKK terrorists were "neutralized" in northern Syria.

In a Twitter post, the ministry said commando units struck a group of four terrorists who opened harassment fire on security forces in the area, earlier cleared by Turkey's Euphrates Shield Operation.