Turkish charity extends helping hand to Afrin civilians

By Halil Fidan, Behcet Alkan

AFRIN, Syria

Now that the Turkish military has cleared the town of Afrin, Syria and nearby areas from the terrorist YPG/PKK, the Turkish Red Crescent Society is moving in to provide relief to the locals who have endured years of terrorist oppression.

"Turkey wants to say that we are standing by the people [of Afrin] after the Turkish Armed Forces liberated Afrin from terrorists. We are here to say, 'Don't worry, we will help you'," Ibrahim Altan, head of the Turkish Red Crescent, told Anadolu Agency on Tuesday.

The Turkish relief organization has begun delivering hot meals, personal care products, food parcels, and blankets in liberated areas in Syria's Afrin region.

"Apart from the city center in Afrin, our teams are continuously delivering aid in settlements near the Turkish provinces of Kilis and Hatay and settlements cleared of terrorists," Altan said.

"The Turkish Red Crescent always stands by the oppressed and people who are in need," he said.

Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch on Jan. 20 to clear terrorist groups from Afrin in northwestern Syria amid growing threats posed from the region.

On Sunday, Turkish troops and Free Syrian Army fighters liberated the town of Afrin, which had been a major hideout for the YPG/PKK since 2012.