'Not an invasion': Turkey's Hulusi Akar on Syria operation | Talk to Al Jazeera

In October 2019, Turkey launched a military operation in northeast Syria to drive the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) back from its border.
Dubbed Operation Peace Spring, Turkey's push was also aimed at establishing a "safe zone" stretching at least 30km (19 miles) into Syria to resettle some of the 3.6 million refugees it currently hosts.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Turkish Minister of Defence Hulusi Akar discusses the operation in northeast Syria, Turkey's cooperation with Russia and Iran and Ankara's strained relations with the United States and NATO following the purchase of the S-400 air defence system from Moscow.
The military operation in northeast Syria was condemned by the US, a NATO ally, and members of the international community, but for Ankara it was seen as necessary to ensure national security. The SDF is dominated by the People's Protection Units (YPG), labelled "terrorists" by Ankara because of its ties to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been fighting the Turkish state for decades.
"Our only wish, our only goal, our only effort is towards the security of our country. Who from? The YPG, the PKK, terrorists and Daesh (ISIL, or ISIS). Our goal is to establish the security of our borders and our people," Akar tells Al Jazeera.
"This is not an invasion in any way. This is not an attack in any way. It is only an operation launched against terrorists and terrorism."
Akar says if a peace corridor is established, it may enable people to voluntarily and safely return to their homes.
"Yes, our president has been reiterating this issue for two or three years now," Akar says, referring to Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "He has been making calls on the US and Europe and he articulated many times that the creation of a safe zone is very important, vital for Syrians and that is the most reasonable, rational and humane way."
Akar says that with the repatriation of Syrians, "it will be possible for them to start a new life, and this, in return, will significantly contribute to peace, stability and the normalisation of all conditions, I believe."
Responding to criticism that civilians were targeted during the military push, Turkey's third in northern Syria, Akar says: "These claims about our operations targeting the civilians are against all facts. This is an unbelievable issue, because it's not the first time we conduct operations, not the first time we fight against terror."
He adds: "What we are doing here ... is not arbitrary. We are not acting disrespectfully to any other party's territorial integrity. This is an activity we have been undertaking for the security of our country and to make sure peace is built for the whole region."
Asked whether Turkey is still determined to activate the S-400 air defence system, the purchase of which has created a diplomatic crisis with the US and NATO, Akar says Ankara's position has been "very clear" from the onset.
"Our president has shared the attitudes, actions and plans by the Republic of Turkey or what we have done or will do, with the rest of the world.
"By the end of 1990s, we have started to scrutinise on-air missile systems to enable the air and missile defence of our county and nation, and have exerted efforts to have them procured and supplied. Yet due to various reasons, we have had a delay on these activities. In particular, when the Syrian crisis emerged in 2011, it became a must for us to own air defence missile systems. Following that, we continued with our efforts intensively. However, the talks we held with the US and in Europe and the activities for procurement unfortunately couldn't help make it happen."
Akar adds: "Upon experiencing these all, it became apparently more clear that we were in need of a permanent air missile defence system. For this reason, we accelerated our supply-related activities and identified certain criteria. Within the framework of this criteria, we made contacts with Europe, the US and with Russia. The right response for these criteria came from the Russians. Therefore, that is how this started. It was a necessity."
He says that the S-400 air defence system will be a "standalone system" that will not be integrated with other NATO systems.
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[@zakariaakob2494]

Tq tq mister halusi good job very nice for zon sefety

[@beyourselfrespecteveryone201]

Should had a vocal translator

[@keratonkanoman2844]

Usa is nothing without british

[@dewhatwhat3033]

Taik Kucing you know the truth 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@Torsengi]

British? Will uk even exist if usa doesnt help after brexit

[@user-ge1in9ih1o]

*ХУЛУСИ АКАР* 👍👍🇹🇷👍👍🇦🇿👍👍🇹🇷👍👍🇦🇿

[@mohammadmahbubalam3936]

No power is totally clean in this stage of world but Turkey isn't doing anything new that has to be highlighted that much. I'm not supporting Turkey but if USA and Russia can walk there then why can't Turkey in it's backyard??? If Israel has so called right to defend itself then why can't Turkey?????

[@LJ-sr7un]

Israel doesn't have the right to "defend" itself by firing missiles into Syria - and that's the point. Yet when it comes to Turkey, Muslim countries and most actively Pakistan somehow don't raise their voices, but even take a stel further and support this brutal invasion.

[@mohammadmahbubalam3936]

@@SUBERDEE Since 1984 the PKK has been involved in an armed conflict with the Turkish state. The PKK has been designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, 28 European countries, and Japan. And YPG is supporting that terrorist organization which is at the backyard of Turkey. If so then why shouldn't Turkey bother???? Turkey should have done it before. Turkey has right to defend itself and the area Turkey operated or invaded was even illegally occupied from Bashar Al Asad who is the rightful government of Syria. And First of all, Hamas is and was never ever been an terrorist organization, they are fighting for their land. If Hamas a terror orgaization then Kurds are terrorist as well as you highlight yourself as fighting for your own state. Secondly, If Turkey backed ISS then Kurds wouldn't be alive to talk about ISS and staffs. Just have some brains.

[@mohammadmahbubalam3936]

@@Ryan-uq6ku With due respect, either you are high on drug or being personally offensive against Turkey. There is not a single adequate evidence that shows that Turkey used phosphorous on civilians, rapped their women and looted homes. And there is nothing called male and female in of war zone, it's not that Kurdish female solider's bullet doesn't penetrate Turkish solider's body. Playing fire doesn't spare any. You don't just mix Turkey with Israel and USA. Israel's is a occupying country which is designated as illegal settlers by the whole country including USA. And it's true that thousands but not millions displaced from their homes, that's the nature of war. Even Turkey gave refuge to 3.6 million Syrian people who was displaced from the war with ISIS and Syrian Arab spring. You have to deal with that. It's not a sports that ordinary people will party on it.

[@mohammadmahbubalam3936]

​@@LJ-sr7un Yeah, i agree with you that Israel doesn't have anything with Syria and whatever is happening is illegal and based on lie. Israel is occupying other's state like a black-hole. But Turkey has it's own concern which is legitimate and that is PKK which has been designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, 28 European countries, and Japan. Since 1984 the PKK has been involved in an armed conflict with the Turkish state. YPG or Kurdish forces are being affiliated and offering helping hand to that terrorist organisation. Why shouldn't Turkey bother????? It should and must response on it. It's not that Turkey has anything to do with ordinary Kurdish people. Turkey has a large and strong number of Kurdish population who are living peacefully with every civil rights that a country has to offer. There is no news of Turkish army go there and fire missile and bullet on them.

[@LJ-sr7un]

@@mohammadmahbubalam3936 If Hamas has never been a terrorist organisation (even though it's on the terrorist list), then the PKK isn't a terrorist group either. Both used violence in the name of Palestine or Kurdistan, two nations that were essentially left stateless as a result of artificial colonial borders. What's your point? Spare me your answer though.

[@kojirohyuga9084]

Turkey is coming

[@kojirohyuga9084]

@Sir Keith Richards will see

[@mahfi-iturki2090]

@Sir Keith Richards to conquest*

[@reshad123abc-qulbnd3]

*Hi*

[@juliaperkins3387]

Does he not speak English?

[@LJ-sr7un]

Al Jazeera's 'objective' reporting is ridiculous. Everyone knows Qatar staunchly supports Turkey's invasion and ethnic cleansing of Kurds. Both also back the Muslim Brotherhood and other Jihadist groups in Syria/Iraq. How about actually interviewing Kurds, and reporting from the Kurdish perspective?

[@Ryan-uq6ku]

Sad but true.

[@Torsengi]

@@Ryan-uq6ku your existance is sad but true 😂😂😂😂

[@Torsengi]

There are more interviews of terrorists than anyone from turkey

[@turhanyuksel4341]

No one makes interview with Turkish officials in world and you say ; it is not fair interview with Al Jazeera because of Qatar and Turkey good relations. Why no one make interview with Turkish officials because other News are not fair as Al Jazeera. West and EU only want to make their propaganda with their interests. West has only accuse and criminate Turkey with fake news, nothing else. S 400 can't steal F -35 secrets because it is standalone system not integrated to NATO systems.All of them are malicious intentions about Turkey. We support you Turkey ,i can only hope people don't trust Zionist media. Turkey is doing all its actions with law and international laws.

[@SaleemSaleem-gm4zz]

Terrorists hasn't ethnicity it's have to defeat only

[@user-wk9eq9bm2k]

Akar is eating koutochourto

[@123DOWNUNDER890]

How can this guy call himself a Turk? He looks Greek.

[@turhanyuksel4341]

Turkey is real Eastern Rome Empire' s people as Sultan Mehmed the second said Kaiser-i Rum. Rum is Rome. Anatolian Seljucs told their country ; Rum ,new Rome. Half of Turkish people blood is Greek because Turks don't kill people of Byzantine ,they have merged together.

[@123DOWNUNDER890]

Efra Yezdâna I work in the oil and gas industry in Central Asia. The Turkic people there look Asian. This guy doesn’t.

[@apocrypha9620]

@@123DOWNUNDER890 there is 2 main group in turkic history oguz and kıpçak. kıpçaks looks more asian but oguz look like anatolian-europan btw turkey and azarbaijan belongs to oguz turks and other turkic countrys like kazhagistan belongs to kıpçak turks

[@ba2138]

Bcz Turks in Turkey aren't Turkic. They are a mix between Greeks, Armenians and Persians. They are basically like Americans (a mix of everything)

[@mahfi-iturki2090]

@@ba2138 No bro. We are mixed with Slavs, Greeks, Tatars, Georgian, Persian, Arabs, and Bulgars.