World Bulletin / News Desk

Turkey does not have any intention to occupy any part of Syria, Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Saturday.

"There will be no interest in occupying any part of Syria,” Kalin told reporters from various media outlets in Istanbul.

“Once the operation is completed, we will return the area back to the people of Afrin. They will be liberated from YPG and PYD elements there as well,”

He said the operation in Syria’s northwestern Afrin region has been going on as planned. “We’ve made good progress so far in regards to Afrin, the Olive Branch Operation.”

The presidential spokesman said the operation had three goals: securing the Turkish border, clearing the Syrian territories from the terrorist organizations and ensuring territorial integrity of Syria.

“Everybody knows from the very beginning that PYD and YPG are the PKK. It is the same structure,” he reiterated.

“They [YPG and PYD], have been a threat to our borders. We are still urging the Americans to stop working with them,” he added.