The call on Turkey in the Resolution on “the Situation in Syria” adopted by the European Parliament yesterday (15 March) is yet another indication of the extent to which European Parliament is out of touch with reality. With this Resolution, the European Parliament has once again demonstrated that it has a biased point of view that is far from being objective.

Operation Olive Branch is a counter-terrorism operation. The operation is conducted on the basis of the international law, in accordance with the right to self-defense as enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter and the relevant counter-terrorism resolutions of the UN Security Council and in full respect of Syria’s territorial integrity.

The target of the operation is PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG terrorist organization along with DAESH elements which have come from different parts of Syria and nested in the region. PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by the EU. In this regard, the operation has international legitimacy not only for ensuring Turkey’s national security but also that of Europe.

These accusations directed at Turkey who takes all precautions to avoid any harm to the civilian population are unfair and baseless. There is no excuse for the European Parliament giving credit to groundless claims of terrorist organization and ignoring Turkey’s efforts for combatting terrorism.

It is impossible for us to accept this Resolution of the European Parliament, known for its track record of showing tolerance to terrorist organizations. Turkey is determined to continue fighting against all kinds of terrorist organizations as it has done so far.

Turkey is one of the countries that exerts the utmost effort for ending the humanitarian tragedy in Syria, especially in Eastern Ghouta, and de-escalating tensions in other regions including Idlib as well as establishing calm on the ground. It also plays a prominent role with its support and contributions to the efforts for solving the Syrian crisis through political processes.

In this context, Turkey invites the European Parliament and the EU countries to take on responsibility and make meaningful contribution towards ending the 7-year long crisis in Syria and to work for the cessation of conflict on the ground.