Syria operation a response to attacks on south Turkey

Turkey's operation against Daesh around the north Syrian city of Jarabulus is a response to terror attacks on southern Turkey in recent months, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Wednesday.

Operation Euphrates Shield was launched early Wednesday, when artillery and air strikes were followed by Turkish tanks crossing the border to target Daesh in support of Free Syrian Army fighters.

“Right now, unfortunately, all the attacks which happened in Gaziantep and Kilis... brought this issue to this point,” Erdogan told an audience at the Presidential Palace in Ankara.

“This is the end. We said it needed to be finished and the process has started this morning at 4.00 a.m. We have to solve the problem.”

Since January, rocket attacks on the Turkish province of Kilis from Daesh-held territory in Syria have killed at least 21 people while terrorist attacks in Gaziantep blamed on Daesh include Saturday's suicide bombing of a wedding that killed 54 and a car bomb attack in May that martyred two police officers.

“You cannot divide our nation, you cannot lower our flag, you cannot smash up our homeland, our state, you cannot silence our call to prayer, you cannot bring this county to your knees, you cannot bring to heel these people,” Erdogan said.

He added: “This nation exists and will always exist with its people, military, police and guards, whatever threats there are against Turkey.”

Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan said on Wednesday he plans to tell U.S. Vice President Joe Biden that Washington has "no excuse" for not handing over Fethullah Gülen, the leader of Fethullah Terrorist Organization.

Speaking in Ankara, he said Turkey would continue to provide U.S. officials with documents to demand the extradition of Fethullah Gülen, who lives in exile in the United States.

Erdoğan said Turkey and the United States are strategic partners and keeping Gülen would not benefit the United States.