29.01.2026 15:23
The Ministry of National Defense stated that reports about the Turkish Armed Forces withdrawing from the Peace Spring region are false and emphasized that the TAF continues its activities in the area.
Sources from the Ministry of National Defense (MSB) reported that the news regarding the withdrawal of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) from certain areas in the Peace Spring region is not true.
In a statement regarding the matter, ministry sources said, "The news that the Turkish Armed Forces have withdrawn from certain areas in the Peace Spring region is not true. The TSK continues its activities in coordination with the Syrian government in the region. It is important not to give credence to such deliberately misleading news and to only consider official statements."
PEACE SPRING OPERATION
Turkey had launched the Peace Spring Operation against the YPG/PKK and ISIS terrorist organizations in northern Syria to eliminate the terrorist corridor being attempted to be established along its southern border and to bring peace and tranquility to the region.
OPERATION CONDUCTED IN 2019
Turkey initiated the Peace Spring Operation on October 9, 2019, under the legitimate right of self-defense arising from Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, to neutralize the terrorist organizations threatening its security, primarily the YPG/PKK, and to ensure border security in northern Syria.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced on his Twitter account on October 9, 2019, that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) had launched the Peace Spring Operation against PKK/YPG and ISIS in northern Syria in cooperation with the Syrian National Army (SMO).
By the end of the first day, the TSK entered the territories east of the Euphrates from Tel Abyad around 22:30.
On the second day of the operation, the Syrian National Army (SMO), formed by the opposition, entered Tel Abyad in the afternoon and Rasulayn in the evening.
On the 4th day of the operation, the center of Rasulayn district was cleared of YPG/PKK terrorists, and on the 5th day, the center of Tel Abyad district was also cleared.
With the support of the TSK, SMO soldiers managed to advance deeper into southern regions. On the 4th day of the operation, SMO soldiers reached the M4 highway, one of the most strategic targets of the operation.
With the operation, approximately 600 settlements spread over an area of more than 4,000 square kilometers were cleared of terrorism.