Tuesday’s discussion on Syria was ‘good’: UK’s Johnson

ANKARA

Yesterday’s meeting on Syria with Turkey’s president and three European leaders was “very good,” said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson Wednesday amid the NATO summit in London.

At the Tuesday meeting, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Johnson discussed the situation in Syria, Libya, and counter-terrorism issues, as well as the broad strategic, economic, and defense partnerships between their countries.

Asked about Turkey’s anti-terror Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria, Johnson said “we had a very good discussion about that yesterday afternoon. And clearly, it's very important that the alliance stays together.”

“There is far more that unites us than divides us. I think one thing every leader here is absolutely resolved on and that is the vital importance of NATO for our collective security,” he added.

Turkey on Oct. 9 launched Operation Peace Spring to eliminate YPG/PKK terrorists from northern Syria east of the Euphrates River in order to secure Turkey’s borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees, and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.

Under two separate deals with the U.S. and Russia, Turkey paused the operation to allow the withdrawal of YPG/PKK terrorists from the planned Syria safe zone.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union -- has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the PKK's Syrian offshoot.