Erdogan announces the start of the military operation "spring of peace" in northern Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced the start of a military operation in northeastern Syria, under the name of "spring of peace" with the aim of establishing a safe area.

Turkish forces have over the past weeks intensified preparations for the operation, which seeks to evacuate part of the border strip where the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces led by the Kurds.

As news of the operation began, Al-Jazeera correspondent reported four explosions at sites belonging to the Kurdish People's Protection Units in the northern city of Ras al-Ain.

Earlier, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that the Turkish army's preparations for the military operation east of the Euphrates River in northern Syria are in full swing, while Turkish President in a call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, that the protection of the rights and interests of the Syrian people is a key element for Turkey.

Akar said in a statement this morning during a ceremony for the opening of the academic year in the military college in Istanbul, which participated with the leaders of the Turkish army, that preparations for the military operation is continuing, pointing out that they and the leaders of the Turkish army are following the preparations closely.

Agence France-Presse correspondents at the border saw the arrival of a large convoy of vehicles to the town of Agge Castle in the province of ليanlıurfa at night.

For his part, the head of the communication department in the Turkish presidency Fakhruddin Alton - in his Twitter account - that the Turkish army is about to cross the Syrian border with the Free Syrian Army.

Alton added that the Kurdish people's units have two options: either to shift their loyalties, or that Turkey will be forced to prevent it from disrupting its efforts to counter IS fighters.

Process and details
Meanwhile, Foreign Policy magazine quoted US officials as saying they expected the Turkish military operation in northern Syria to begin within 24 hours.

For his part, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Ankara will inform the countries concerned about the military operation in northern Syria, including the Syrian regime.

He pointed out that the terrorists are the only target in North Sorba, and thus will contribute significantly to secure the unity of the Syrian border, and stressed that this is the right of his country resulting from the Charter of the United Nations and Security Council resolutions and international law.

These developments follow the Turkish parliament's earlier ratification of the extension of the mandate of the Turkish government to carry out military operations outside the borders in Syria and Iraq.

Ankara and Turkey are preparing for an incursion into northeastern Syria to expel Kurdish fighters after US forces began evacuating part of the border.

World powers fear the operation could mark the beginning of a new chapter in the war raging in Syria for more than eight years.

In response to these Turkish moves, Damascus denounced Ankara's "aggressive" intentions as it prepared to launch an imminent military operation on Kurdish-controlled areas in the north of the country, vowing to counter any Turkish attack.

An official source in the Syrian Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by the official media that his country "condemns in the strongest terms the aggressive statements and aggressive intentions of the Turkish regime and the military build-up on the Syrian border," stressing "determination and will to confront the Turkish aggression by all legitimate means."

self-control
In this context, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called on Turkey to exercise restraint and avoid any military action in northern Syria, considering that the only solution to ensure peace and security in southern Turkey and northern Syria is the presence of the Syrian army.

"We call on our sister and friendly neighbor Turkey to act with more patience and restraint and review its decision and the path it has chosen," he added.

Iran, like Turkey, is home to a large number of Kurds, and Rouhani said he understood Ankara's concerns about security on its borders.

"The Kurds in Syria ... should support the Syrian army."

Meanwhile, the self-administration of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) declared a general alert for three days in the north-eastern areas of Syria, and called in a statement to its members to defend their areas in the event of the start of the Turkish military operation.

They demanded an international coalition against ISIS to establish a no-fly zone east of the Euphrates River, to protect people from an impending humanitarian crisis, she said.

She added that the planned Turkish military operation - if launched - will lead to the deaths of thousands of civilians due to the overcrowded border areas.

On the other hand, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday assured his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a telephone conversation that the planned military operation in the east of the Euphrates will contribute to bring peace and stability to Syria, and facilitate a political solution.