By Diyar Guldogan
ANKARA (AA) – NATO welcomes Turkey's “transparency ” in its ongoing counter-terrorist Operation Olive Branch in Afrin, Syria, the alliance’s chief said on Monday.
“[Foreign] Minister Cavusoglu briefed me on Operation Olive Branch, and I am grateful for Turkey’s continued transparency on this, ” Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in the capital Ankara.
Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch on Jan. 20 to clear the terrorist groups YPG/PKK and Daesh from Afrin, northwestern Syria amid growing threats from the region.
Stoltenberg said Turkey “really ” did a lot for the alliance despite facing “serious ” security challenges.
“No other NATO ally has suffered as many terrorist attacks as Turkey, ” he pointed out. “And you are the ally most exposed to the instability in this region. ”
Cavusoglu said he and Stoltenberg discussed regional issues, including Syria, Libya, Iraq, and a NATO summit set for July in Brussels.
He said Stoltenberg had visited Turkey seven times now, adding: “This is a sign of the importance placed on Turkey as an ally. ”
