By Cigdem Alyanak
ISTANBUL – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday wished “peace and tranquility ” for all humanity across the world in 2019.
In his message for New Year's, Erdogan said: “We side with stability, justice, tolerance and peace across the world, together with our region. “
“Through this understanding, we defend the rights of Jerusalem, Damascus, Baghdad, Cairo, Tripoli, Sarajevo, and Crimea.
Turkey is “not responsible for the incidents in our region and will not be a victim of them,” Erdogan said.
“Developments in Syria are the result of these efforts,” he added.
The Turkish leader had signaled that a cross-border operation against the terrorist PYD/YPG in Syria would happen soon. Since 2016, Ankara has successfully carried out two similar military operations in northern Syria.
Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011 when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on protesters with unexpected ferocity.
In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU — has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including women and children. The PYD is its Syrian branch.
