Turkish National Defense Ministry on Thursday announced that two Turkish and two US helicopters conducted a joint flight over the eastern Euphrates in Syria.
In a statement on social media, the ministry said the joint helicopter flight was part of the first phase implementations for the establishment of a safe zone in the region.
TURKEY SEEKS TO ERADICATE TERROR ELEMENTS
The first joint reconnaissance flight was carried out with a US helicopter on Aug. 24, said Turkey’s National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar earlier.
Turkey sees the establishment of the safe zone in northern Syria crucial and wants to be in control. Ankara seeks to eradicate YPG terror elements, which is the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terror group.
Notably, Turkey is currently home to over 3.6 million displaced Syrians who fled the conflict-prone environment of Syria.
In a Thursday statement, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Turkey aimed to settle at least a million of these Syrians to the planned safe zone along Turkey’s border with Syria.