Key Takeaways
- Ankara confirmed the neutralization of YPG members by Turkish forces in northern Syria.
- Turkey views the YPG as an extension of the PKK, a designated terrorist organization.
- Clashes have intensified, with multiple operations since 2016 aiming to create a YPG‑free zone.
Ankara: At least four members of the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) were killed by Turkish forces in northern Syria, Turkiye’s Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
The Turkish Armed Forces “neutralized” the YPG members after they opened “harassment fire” in places where Turkiye carried out operations.
The ministry said in a statement that the action was necessary to stop the attack.
“We continue to respond to the terrorists who want to disrupt the peace and security of the people in Syria,” said the ministry.
Turkish authorities often use the term “neutralized” in their statements to imply the surrender or death of terrorists.
The confrontation between the Turkish military and the YPG in northern Syria has intensified in the past few weeks. Five YPG members were killed by the Turkish forces in northern Syria when they were “preparing an attack,” the ministry said on Friday.
The Turkish army has launched several operations since 2016 in northern Syria to create a YPG-free zone along its border with the neighboring country.
Turkiye sees the YPG group as the Syrian branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the United States and the European Union, has rebelled against the Turkish government for more than three decades.
