Turkey opens center to manage op. east of Euphrates

By Sarp Ozer</p> <p>SANLIURFA, Turkey (AA) – Turkey's defense minister and chief of general staff on Saturday inaugurated a center in southeastern Sanliurfa province that would manage possible military operation against terrorists east of the Euphrates River in Syria.</p> <p>Hulusi Akar and Gen. Yasar Guler also inspected Turkey's forces deployed near the Syrian border in Sanliurfa.</p> <p>Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Akar said Turkey is in pursuit of terrorists with an air operation launched early Saturday in northern Iraq.</p> <p>In another operation three days ago, Akar noted, PKK ringleaders suffered &quot;heavily&quot;.</p> <p>&quot;This will continue. No one should have doubts about that,&quot; he added.</p> <p>Akar said that Turkey's plans and preparations for a possible operation east of the Euphrates in Syria are completed.</p> <p>Turkey has stressed that it will not allow the formation of a terrorist corridor along its southern border with Syria, and towards that end has promised a counter-terrorist operation east of the Euphrates in Syria. </p> <p>The expected operation would follow up on two other successful Turkish counter-terrorist operations in Syria since 2016, Operation Euphrates Shield and Operation Olive Branch.