“An important stage of the operation has been completed, there is still work to do,” Ibrahim Kalin told British Sky News late Sunday.

The Turkish troops and Free Syrian Army fighters took control of the Afrin town center early on Sunday as part of Operation Olive Branch, which was launched on Jan. 20 to clear the area of YPG/PKK-ISIL terrorists.

“Afrin is a big area with several thousand people living there,” Kalin said. “We are providing aid and we want to make sure that, especially inside the cities and in the houses, there are no mines, no traps.” 

“So, there will be work to do in days to come but, at the same time, we will continue to provide humanitarian aid and also work with the locals to make sure they govern themselves – that their needs are provided,” he added.