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| Turkish president threatens to send 3.6m refugees to Europe | Turkish president threatens to send 3.6m refugees to Europe |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The Turkish president has threatened to “open the gates” for Syrian refugees in his country to migrate to Europe if the continent’s leaders label Turkey’s military campaign in north-eastern Syria an “occupation”. | The Turkish president has threatened to “open the gates” for Syrian refugees in his country to migrate to Europe if the continent’s leaders label Turkey’s military campaign in north-eastern Syria an “occupation”. |
| Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned European Union states he would “open the gates and send 3.6 million refugees your way” during a combative speech at a meeting of lawmakers from his Justice and Development (AK) party on Thursday afternoon. | Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned European Union states he would “open the gates and send 3.6 million refugees your way” during a combative speech at a meeting of lawmakers from his Justice and Development (AK) party on Thursday afternoon. |
| He rebuked critics of the operation in Saudi Arabia and Egypt and said Isis fighters who were captured in the military campaign would be imprisoned in Turkey if their home countries refused to claim them. | He rebuked critics of the operation in Saudi Arabia and Egypt and said Isis fighters who were captured in the military campaign would be imprisoned in Turkey if their home countries refused to claim them. |
| As he spoke, Turkish soldiers and their allies were clashing with the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in several border towns during the second day of an offensive that has caused tens of thousands of civilians to flee their homes. | As he spoke, Turkish soldiers and their allies were clashing with the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in several border towns during the second day of an offensive that has caused tens of thousands of civilians to flee their homes. |
| 'Now the war is coming to us': Turkish towns in range of Kurdish shells | 'Now the war is coming to us': Turkish towns in range of Kurdish shells |
| There was heavy back-and-forth shelling as the SDF clashed with Turkish forces on the outskirts of the towns of Tel Abyad and Ras al-Ayn. By evening, Turkish forces had managed to surround both towns, a spokesperson for the Turkish-allied Free Syrian Army said. The claim was partly denied by the SDF, who said the main road in Ras al-Ayn remained open despite heavy bombing. | There was heavy back-and-forth shelling as the SDF clashed with Turkish forces on the outskirts of the towns of Tel Abyad and Ras al-Ayn. By evening, Turkish forces had managed to surround both towns, a spokesperson for the Turkish-allied Free Syrian Army said. The claim was partly denied by the SDF, who said the main road in Ras al-Ayn remained open despite heavy bombing. |
| There were also reports of mortar exchanges in Qamishli, another large town, and unconfirmed claims of civilian deaths and injuries across the border region that Turkey hopes to clear of SDF forces. | There were also reports of mortar exchanges in Qamishli, another large town, and unconfirmed claims of civilian deaths and injuries across the border region that Turkey hopes to clear of SDF forces. |
| At least 23 SDF fighters and eight civilians, two them SDF administrators, were killed, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The SDF said three of its fighters had been killed, while six fighters with Turkey-backed rebel groups had also been killed. Erdoğan earlier claimed his forces had killed 109 Kurdish fighters. | At least 23 SDF fighters and eight civilians, two them SDF administrators, were killed, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The SDF said three of its fighters had been killed, while six fighters with Turkey-backed rebel groups had also been killed. Erdoğan earlier claimed his forces had killed 109 Kurdish fighters. |
| The Kurdish Red Crescent, a humanitarian group, said on Thursday night that 11 civilians had been killed so far in the fighting including an 11-year-old boy in Qamishli. Hospitals in both Ras al-Ayn and Tel Abyad were out of service, it added. | |
| In an apparent attempt by Kurdish-led forces to retaliate, mortar fire from Syria killed three people including a child in the Turkish border town of Akçakale, hospital and security sources told Reuters. | |
| More than 60,000 people have fled the area since the offensive began, the Observatory added. Ras al-Ayn and Darbasiya, another town about 40 miles (60km) to the east, have been largely deserted since the offensive began on Wednesday afternoon. | More than 60,000 people have fled the area since the offensive began, the Observatory added. Ras al-Ayn and Darbasiya, another town about 40 miles (60km) to the east, have been largely deserted since the offensive began on Wednesday afternoon. |
| On the Turkish side of the border, after initially welcoming the operation’s start on Wednesday, civilians began fleeing in the face of SDF counter-attacks, hurriedly grabbing belongings and bundling children into cars. | On the Turkish side of the border, after initially welcoming the operation’s start on Wednesday, civilians began fleeing in the face of SDF counter-attacks, hurriedly grabbing belongings and bundling children into cars. |
| Plumes of smoke rose above the towns on both sides of the border as Turkish jets flew overhead. | Plumes of smoke rose above the towns on both sides of the border as Turkish jets flew overhead. |
| Syria: Erdoğan's eyes more likely to be on Putin than Trump | Syria: Erdoğan's eyes more likely to be on Putin than Trump |
| Turkish troops crossed the border into north-east Syria on Wednesday evening after an earlier barrage of airstrikes and artillery signalled the beginning of a long-planned operation to establish the buffer zone. The Turkish military later said it had hit 181 “militant targets”. | Turkish troops crossed the border into north-east Syria on Wednesday evening after an earlier barrage of airstrikes and artillery signalled the beginning of a long-planned operation to establish the buffer zone. The Turkish military later said it had hit 181 “militant targets”. |
| Video footage showed civilians fleeing towns with columns of smoke rising in the background and jet trails visible in the sky. | Video footage showed civilians fleeing towns with columns of smoke rising in the background and jet trails visible in the sky. |
| Turkey’s offensive was triggered by a call between Donald Trump and Erdoğan on Sunday, in which, the Turks claim, Trump handed over leadership of the campaign against Isis in Syria to Ankara. The American president announced on Sunday night that US troops would withdraw from the region. | Turkey’s offensive was triggered by a call between Donald Trump and Erdoğan on Sunday, in which, the Turks claim, Trump handed over leadership of the campaign against Isis in Syria to Ankara. The American president announced on Sunday night that US troops would withdraw from the region. |
| Gülnur Aybet, one of the Turkish president’s senior advisers, told CNN: “President Trump and President Erdoğan have reached an understanding over precisely what this operation is.” Aybet added that Trump “knows what the scope of this operation is”. | Gülnur Aybet, one of the Turkish president’s senior advisers, told CNN: “President Trump and President Erdoğan have reached an understanding over precisely what this operation is.” Aybet added that Trump “knows what the scope of this operation is”. |
| Hours after the bombing began, Trump issued a statement mildly criticising the offensive aimed at Kurdish forces, which for nearly five years fought alongside the US against Isis. | Hours after the bombing began, Trump issued a statement mildly criticising the offensive aimed at Kurdish forces, which for nearly five years fought alongside the US against Isis. |
| “The United States does not endorse this attack and has made it clear to Turkey that this operation is a bad idea,” the statement said, before noting: “There are no American soldiers in the area.” | “The United States does not endorse this attack and has made it clear to Turkey that this operation is a bad idea,” the statement said, before noting: “There are no American soldiers in the area.” |
| What is the situation in north-eastern Syria? | What is the situation in north-eastern Syria? |
| In remarks later, Trump presented the invasion as a historical inevitability, saying Turks and Kurds “have been fighting each other for centuries”. And he downplayed the US debt to Kurdish fighters, saying: “They didn’t help us in the second world war, they didn’t help us with Normandy … but they’re there to help us with their land.” | In remarks later, Trump presented the invasion as a historical inevitability, saying Turks and Kurds “have been fighting each other for centuries”. And he downplayed the US debt to Kurdish fighters, saying: “They didn’t help us in the second world war, they didn’t help us with Normandy … but they’re there to help us with their land.” |
| He said Isis fighters who escaped Kurdish custody would be “escaping to Europe […] they want to go back to their homes”. | He said Isis fighters who escaped Kurdish custody would be “escaping to Europe […] they want to go back to their homes”. |
| Trump tweeted on Thursday morning that ahead of the Turkish offensive the US had extricated from Kurdish custody two Isis detainees who were members of “the Beatles”, a gang of four jailers who were allegedly responsible for the torture and beheading of prisoners, including the American photojournalist James Foley. | Trump tweeted on Thursday morning that ahead of the Turkish offensive the US had extricated from Kurdish custody two Isis detainees who were members of “the Beatles”, a gang of four jailers who were allegedly responsible for the torture and beheading of prisoners, including the American photojournalist James Foley. |
| The UN security council convened on Thursday, but failed to agree on the offensive, with Europeans demanding a halt to military action and Russia, the ally of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, calling for “restraint” and “direct dialogue” between Syria and Turkey. | |
| Turkey says it is seeking to establish the buffer zone along the border against the threat of what it says are Kurdish terror groups as well as Isis. It also hopes to resettle Syrian refugees in the zone. | Turkey says it is seeking to establish the buffer zone along the border against the threat of what it says are Kurdish terror groups as well as Isis. It also hopes to resettle Syrian refugees in the zone. |
| Syria | Syria |
| Turkey | Turkey |
| Recep Tayyip Erdoğan | Recep Tayyip Erdoğan |
| Middle East and North Africa | Middle East and North Africa |
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