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It has said 28 civilians have been killed but this is vehemently rejected by Turkey which says it is doing everything to avoid civilian casualties.
Erdogan said security forces killed “268 terrorists” in the operation. It was not immediately possible to verify this figure.
Ankara says the operation is also directed against IS jihadists, although analysts say the group has the most minimal presence, if any, in the area.
– ‘Get rid of this calamity’ –
This is Turkey’s second major military action in Syria after it launched its first operation dubbed Euphrates Shield between August 2016 and March 2017, targeting the YPG and IS on its border.
While for now Turkey is focusing on the YPG-held enclave of Afrin, Ankara has not ruled out further expanding the operation.
The YPG also holds the key town of Manbij east of Afrin and a long strip of territory in northern Syria east of the Euphrates heading right up to the Iraqi border.
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday Turkey’s campaign could be expanded to include Manbij and even areas east of the Euphrates, “if the threat continues.”
Erdogan also raised the prospect of an operation on Manbij, which could be much more tricky as there is a US military presence in the area.
“God willing, starting with Manbij (in Syria) we will continue to thwart these plans along our border and completely rid our region of this calamity,” Erdogan added.
He indicated that one aim of the operation was to create a safe zone where some of the over three million Syrians who fled to Turkey in the civil war could return.
“First we will exterminate the terrorists, then we will make the area liveable. For who? For the 3.5 million Syrian guests in our land,” Erdogan said.
The government has hit out at “propaganda” against its action, while Erdogan’s spokesman Ibrahim Kalin has urged the media and public to be aware of “lying, fake, distortive and provocative news”.
A total of 150 people including journalists and activists have been detained in police raids across 31 provinces over “making propaganda” against the offensive on social media, state media reported, adding 11 were formally charged
