Operation Olive Branch

Operation Olive Branch
Part of the Rojava conflict, Turkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War, and the Kurdish–Turkish conflict (2015–present)

  Turkish-backed opposition control
  SDF control
  Syrian Army control
For a more detailed, up-to-date, interactive map, see here.
DateMain combat phase:
20 January[a] – 24 March 2018[9]
(2 months and 4 days)
Main insurgency phase:[10][11][12]
25 March 2018 – 9 August 2019
(1 year, 4 months, 2 weeks and 1 day)
Location
Afrin and Azaz districts, Aleppo Governorate, Syria
Result Turkish-SNA victory
Territorial
changes
Belligerents
 Turkey
Syrian National Army (SNA)[1]
Other rebel factions[2]

Democratic Federation of Northern Syria
Syria (20 Feb. – 21 March)[3][4]
Sinjar Alliance[5]
International Freedom Battalion (IFB)[6]
TKP/ML

Commanders and leaders

Turkey Gen. Hulusi Akar
(Minister of Defence, Army Chief until July 2018)
Turkey Gen. İsmail Metin Temel[19]
(Operations chief commander, until December 2018)
Lt. Col. Muhammad Hamadin[20]
(Third Legion and Levant Front commander)

Syrian opposition Col. Ahmed Othman[21]
(Sultan Murad Division top commander)
Syrian opposition Fehim Isa[22]
(Second Corps and Sultan Murad Division commander)
Syrian opposition Sayf Balud[23]
(Hamza Division top commander)
Abu Muslim[24]
(Levant Front commander)
Maj. Yasser Abdul Rahim[24]
(Sham Legion commander, until 7 February[25])
Lt. Wael al-Mousa †[26]
(First Legion commander)
Ahmad Fayyadh al-Khalaf †[27]
(Samarkand Brigade field commander)

Bahjt Abedo[28]
(Afrin Region defense minister)[29]
Mahmud Berxwedan[30]
(YPG and SDF Afrin commander)

Qehreman Cudî †[31]
(YPG and SDF Afrin commander)
Tokshin Botan †[32]
(YPJ commander)
Zilan Judy †[32]
(YPJ commander)
Haji Ahmed[33]
(Army of Revolutionaries commander)
Abu Omar al-Idlibi[34]
(Northern Democratic Brigade commander)
Viyan İsyan[35]
(MLKP commander)
Ibrahim Maktabi
(NDF commander)[36]
Mohamed al Faraj
(NDF commander)[37]
Muthanna Nasser †[38]
(NDF commander)
Units involved
See order of battle See order of battle
Strength

Turkey 6,400[39]

Equipment
10,000–25,000[48][49]		 8,000–10,000 (late January)[50]
20,000 (late February)[51]
800+[52]
Casualties and losses

Per SOHR:
616 killed[53]
Turkey 96 killed[54]

Per SDF:
Turkey 2,772 killed[55]

Per Turkey:
318 killed (as of 27 March)[56]

Turkey 61 soldiers and 1 civilian worker killed, 243 soldiers wounded[57][58][59]

Per SOHR:[53]
1,586 killed (as of March 2019)
91 killed

Per SDF:
600–876 killed[60][55]
62 killed[61]

Per Turkey:

4,612 killed or captured[62]

389–500 civilians killed in Syria
(per SOHR & SDF)[b][53][60]
7–9 civilians killed in Turkey[63][64] (2 Syrians)[65]

150,000–300,000 civilians internally displaced[66][67][68]
a The TAF announced the start of Operation Olive Branch on 20 January,[69] while the Turkish Defence Minister stated it "de facto started with cross-border shelling" the day before[70] when one additional SDF fighter was killed.[71]

Operation Olive Branch (Turkish: Zeytin Dalı Harekâtı) was a cross-border military operation conducted by the Turkish Armed Forces and Syrian National Army (SNA) in the majority-Kurdish Afrin District of northwest Syria, against the People's Protection Units (YPG) of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The air war and use of major artillery ended as the Arab and Turkmen militias of the SNA entered the city of Afrin on 18 March 2018, and the SDF insurgency in Northern Aleppo began.

Between 395 and 510 civilians were reported killed in the operation.[53][60][64] Other reported war crimes include the mutilation of a female corpse by SNA fighters,[72] the killing of civilians due to indiscriminate shelling by Turkish forces,[73] the alleged use of chemical gas by the Turkish Army,[74][75] and the indiscriminate shooting of refugees fleeing from the conflict area into Turkey by the Gendarmerie General Command.[76]

In Turkey, the government issued restrictions on press coverage, with Reporters Without Borders noting that the Turkish media was expected to be in "service of the government and its war goals".[77] Hundreds of people were arrested for demonstrating against the operation,[78] and over 800 social media users and nearly 100 politicians and journalists were arrested for criticizing it.[79][77][80] Turkish police also arrested numerous leaders and high-ranking members of pro-Kurdish and left-wing political parties.[81] The use of the term 'olive branch' (a traditional symbol of peace) in the operation's name has been criticised as Orwellian and a "mockery".[82]

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimates that a total of 300,000 Kurdish people have been displaced.[83] In the aftermath of the conflict, Turkish forces implemented a resettlement policy by moving refugees from Eastern Ghouta into the newly-empty homes.[84] Many houses, farms, and other private property belonging to those that fled the conflict have been seized or looted by the SNA.[85] In a study of 24 key informants from Afrin, all reported loss of housing, land or property following Operation Olive Branch.[86] Although Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that the operation in Afrin would be followed by a push to the town of Manbij,[87] which the US-backed SDF captured from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in 2016, Turkish forces stopped a few kilometres short of the town.[50][88][89]

  1. ^ "Syrian regime fighters 'heading to Afrin to join Kurds in fight against Turkish forces'". The Daily Telegraph. 19 February 2018. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022.
  2. ^ Fehim Tastekin (26 January 2018). "Erdogan's plans for Afrin might not sit well with Syria". al-Monitor. Archived from the original on 29 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  3. ^ "Pro-Syrian government fighters start to enter Afrin – Hezbollah media unit". Reuters. 20 February 2018. Archived from the original on 20 February 2018.
  4. ^ "Turkey shells Assad loyalists trying to cross into Syria's Afrin". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  5. ^ "Un convoi de 5.000 Kurdes à Afrin contre l'invasion turque" [A convoy of 5,000 Kurds in Afrin against the Turkish invasion]. Jforum (in French). 6 February 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  6. ^ Julian Röpcke (27 January 2018). "Türkische Offensive in Nordsyrien. Deutsche kämpfen gegen Erdogan" [Turkish offensive in northern Syria. Germans fight against Erdogan]. Bild. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  7. ^ "Which Red Flag is Flying?: Communist and Anarchist Solidarity in Afrin". 8 February 2018.
  8. ^ "Assad, Iran support Kurdish forces against Turkey in Syria's Afrin with key weapon systems – reports". Al Masdar News. 9 February 2018. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  9. ^ a b "Turkey takes full control of Syria's Afrin region, reports say". Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  10. ^ Chulov, Martin (19 March 2018). "Kurdish militia vows to make Afrin 'an ongoing nightmare' for Turks". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  11. ^ "Afrin beginning to look less like a victory for Turkey as YPG mounts guerrilla campaign". 4 April 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference quagmire was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ "Turkey will not act against Russia, says deputy PM". Anadolu Agency. 26 March 2018.
  14. ^ "Turkish forces and Free Syrian Army capture Afrin city". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  15. ^ "Bozdağ: Türkiye'nin Afrin de işi bitmemiştir - Politika haberleri". www.dha.com.tr. 26 March 2018.
  16. ^ "Turkish army, FSA liberate another village in northwestern Syria". Anadolu Agency. Archived from the original on 26 April 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  17. ^ "Turkish army, FSA clear 7 more areas in NW Syria". Anadolu Agency. 4 March 2018.
  18. ^ Kurdish-led Afrin Liberation Forces attack Turkish base in Syria: video Archived 25 December 2019 at the Wayback Machine
    HRE operations conjunction on 2nd anniversary Turkish attacks on Afrin
    Resistance against Turkish forces in Raqqa grows increasingly violent
    One killed, seven others wounded in northern Syria - Turkey
  19. ^ sitesi, milliyet.com.tr Türkiye'nin lider haber (19 January 2018). "Son dakika: Afrin harekatını Korgeneral İsmail Metin Temel yönetecek!". Milliyet.com.tr. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  20. ^ "Free Syrian Army prepares to participate in Afrin battle, Aleppo". SMART News Agency. 21 January 2018. Archived from the original on 19 September 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  21. ^ "Kurdish fighters join Turkey's Afrin operation". Al Monitor. 16 February 2016.
  22. ^ [1] Archived 16 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine 400 asker Afrin’e doğru yola çıktı
  23. ^ [2] Archived 16 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine Afrin'de üç köy daha terörden temizlendi
  24. ^ a b "Who Are the Pro-Turkey Rebels Advancing on Syria's Afrin". Naharnet. 22 January 2018. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  25. ^ "The 'Sham Corps' isolates leader Yasser Abdel Rahim". Enab Baladi. 7 February 2018.
  26. ^ "The killing of a corps commander in the 'Free Army' in the battles of Afrin". Enab Baladi. 9 March 2018.
  27. ^ Cite error: The named reference Samarkand was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  28. ^ "Bahjt Abedo :Our forces restrained mercenaries, resistance continues". Hawar News Agency. 26 January 2018. Archived from the original on 27 January 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  29. ^ "Afrin Defense Minister: "Turkey is preparing for mass deaths"". ANF News. 6 February 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  30. ^ "SDF launches revolutionary operation in Afrin". Hawar News Agency. 21 January 2018. Archived from the original on 9 February 2018.
  31. ^ "Efrîn'de hayatını kaybeden 6 YPG'linin kimlikleri açıklandı". Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  32. ^ a b [3] Archived 17 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine YPJ .. We pledge to raise level of struggle to leaders Tokshin, Zilan
  33. ^ "Commander of "Jaysh al-Thuwar": We fight cowardice to the side, do not believe the false news". Hawar News Agency. 21 January 2018. Archived from the original on 22 January 2018.
  34. ^ "Syrian Democratic Forces to withdraw fighters from eastern Syria to 'confront Turkish aggression' in Afrin". Syria Direct. 6 March 2018. Archived from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  35. ^ "Efrîn'deki MLKP komutanı Viyan İsyan: Zafer bizim olacak" [MLKP commander Viyan İsyan in Afrin: Victory will be ours]. ETHA (Etkin Haber Ajansı) (in Turkish). 27 January 2018. Archived from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  36. ^ "Pro Assad regime 'Popular Forces' suffering a painful blow in Afrin". 2 March 2018. Archived from the original on 25 March 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  37. ^ "Faraj: 10 soldiers martyred, 8 wounded by Turkey's violation of SC's resolution – ANHA". en.hawarnews.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  38. ^ [4] Archived 7 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine مقتل مراسلين حربيين ورئيس عمليات لقوات الأسد في عفرين
  39. ^ "Dakika dakika Afrin'de yaşanan son dakika gelişmeler!". Habertürk. 22 January 2018.
  40. ^ [5] Archived 23 February 2018 at the Wayback Machine Suriye Dışişleri Bakan Yardımcısı BBC'ye konuştu: Türkiye'nin harekatı işgal, hava savunma sistemlerimiz hazır
  41. ^ "BASIN AÇIKLAMASI" (in Turkish). General Staff of the Republic of Turkey. 20 January 2018. Archived from the original on 21 January 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  42. ^ "Türkei rückt in Syrien gegen Kurden vor – mit deutschen Panzern". Focus (in German). 22 January 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  43. ^ "M60T Sabra tipi ağır muharebe tankları Afrin'de görev almak için sınırda konuşlandı Gündem Haberi – GÜNEŞ". Archived from the original on 24 February 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  44. ^ "T-155 Fırtına Obüsleri nedir? - Akşam". aksam.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  45. ^ Kanal, Ulusal. "Afrin harekatında yerli silahlar kullanılıyor haberi – Son Dakika Güncel Haberler". Ulusal (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  46. ^ "Mayınlar 'Kirpi'yle güvenli şekilde aşılıyor | STAR". Star.com.tr. 22 January 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  47. ^ "Afrin'de son durum.. 'Zeytin Dalı' operasyonunda kaç terörist öldürüldü - Son Dakika Haberler". 25 January 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  48. ^ Mehmet Guzel; Philip Issa (20 January 2018). "Turkish jets bombard Kurdish-run city of Afrin in Syria". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  49. ^ Suleiman Al-Khalidi (21 January 2018). "FSA Commander Says 25,000 Syrian Rebels Back Turkish Force in Syria". Reuters. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  50. ^ a b "Erdogan: Operation in Syria's Afrin has begun". Al Jazeera. 21 January 2018.
  51. ^ Eric Schmitt; Rod Rordland (28 February 2018). "Amid Turkish Assault, Kurdish Forces Are Drawn Away From U.S. Fight With ISIS". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  52. ^ "Breaking: Second wave of pro-Syrian Army forces enter Afrin to bolster Kurdish defenses". 21 February 2018. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  53. ^ a b c d "On the eve of Nowruz festivals…Afrin witnesses arrests against its residents by the factions of "Olive Branch" on charge of celebrating and setting fire in the festival's anniversary • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". 21 March 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
    "3 members including a Turkish soldier were killed as a result of targeting by unidentified persons to a military checkpoint in Afrin city north-west of Aleppo • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". 5 August 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  54. ^ "About 5 Turkish soldiers were killed and wounded by the Kurdish Forces' targeting of the Turkish base near al-Basutah north Aleppo • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". 26 June 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
    3 members including a Turkish soldier were killed as a result of targeting by unidentified persons to a military checkpoint in Afrin city north-west of Aleppo
    "Two Turkish soldiers killed in Kurdish militant attack in Syria: ministry". Reuters. 11 October 2019.
  55. ^ a b "Results of battles and resistance of YPG throughout 2018 | English". www.ypgrojava.org. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  56. ^ "Erdogan says 3,747 terrorists 'neutralized' in Afrin op". Anadolu Agency. 25 March 2018.
    Afrin beginning to look less like a victory for Turkey as YPG mounts guerrilla campaign Archived 24 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine
  57. ^ "Turkey neutralizes over 4,500 terrorists in Afrin: Army". Anadolu Agency. 6 July 2018.
  58. ^ Turkish soldier killed in clashes with Kurdish militia in Syria's Afrin
    "1 Turkish soldier killed during anti-terror op in northern Syria". Daily Sabah. 18 February 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
    One Turkish soldier killed in Syria, military retaliates: ministry
    One soldier killed, another wounded in Syria
    Turkish soldier killed in clashes with Kurdish militants in Syria: ministry
    Two Turkish soldiers killed in Kurdish militant attack in Syria: ministry
  59. ^ "Turkish civilian worker killed, three soldiers wounded in Syria's Afrin". Hürriyet Daily News. 2 April 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  60. ^ a b c "Afrin administration: The war has moved to another stage". Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  61. ^ "At least 48 Syrian pro-gov't fighters killed during Afrin battle: report". 5 March 2018. Archived from the original on 9 March 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  62. ^ "Turkey neutralizes 154 terrorists in April: Defense Ministry". Anadolu Agency. 29 April 2019.
  63. ^ "One Turkish soldier killed in Syria's Afrin".
  64. ^ a b "Soylu: 31 asker, 9 sivil, 39 ÖSO mensubu şehit oldu". Milli Gazete. 14 February 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  65. ^ "7 civilians killed in Turkey in YPG/PKK terrorist attacks". Daily Sabah. 6 February 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  66. ^ "Syrian city's displaced caught in limbo – CNN Video". CNN. 29 March 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  67. ^ FRANTZMAN, SETH J. (26 March 2018). "DISPLACED KURDS FROM AFRIN NEED HELP, ACTIVIST SAYS". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 30 March 2018.
  68. ^ "After displacing more than 300000 Kurdish residents of Afrin people, Turkish-backed factions seize more than 75% of olive farms and receive the price of the first season in advance". SOHR. 20 September 2018. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  69. ^ "Operation Olive Branch launched in Syria's Afrin to clear PKK, Daesh, Turkish military says". DailySabah. 20 January 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  70. ^ Cite error: The named reference Nurettin was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  71. ^ "Hundreds of the factions' fighters head to the borders of Turkey and Iskenderun with Afrin in a preparation for the attack which will be carried out through 10 fronts at least". Syriahr.com. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  72. ^ Cite error: The named reference nytabusevideos was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  73. ^ "Syria war: Turkey 'indiscriminately shelling civilians in Afrin'". BBC. 28 February 2018.
  74. ^ Cite error: The named reference chemical was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  75. ^ "Turkey denies use of chemical weapons in Syria". Deutsche Welle. 17 February 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  76. ^ Cite error: The named reference reuters1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  77. ^ a b "Turkey demands "patriotic" coverage of military offensive in Syria". Reporters without Borders. 23 January 2018.
  78. ^ "The Latest: Turkey holding 573 over Syria criticism". The Washington Post. 5 February 2018. Archived from the original on 5 February 2018.
  79. ^ "845 people detained in Turkey for opposing Afrin operation so far". Turkey Purge. 26 February 2018.
  80. ^ "Turkey detains 91, including politicians, journalists, over Syria comments". Reuters. 23 January 2018.
  81. ^ Cite error: The named reference reuters123 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  82. ^ "Turkey's 'Operation Olive Branch' Raises Eyebrows for its Irony". by Al Bawaba, 22 January 2018.
  83. ^ Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (20 September 2018). "After displacing more than 300000 Kurdish residents of Afrin people, Turkish-backed factions seize more than 75% of olive farms and receive the price of the first season in advance".
  84. ^ "Yazidis who suffered under Isis face forced conversion to Islam amid fresh persecution in Afrin". Independent. 18 April 2018. Other displaced people from Eastern Ghouta are being moved into houses from which their Kurdish inhabitants have fled and are not being allowed to return according to SOHR. It says that refugees from Eastern Ghouta object to what is happening, saying they do not want to settle in Afrin, "where the Turkish forces provide them with houses owned by people displaced from Afrin". The Eastern Ghouta refugees say they resent being the instrument of "an organised demographic change" at the behest of Turkey which would, in effect, replace Kurds with Arabs in Afrin.
  85. ^ "In Afrin, checkpoints inspect the people of the area and building, houses and farms are seized, continued looting, preventing the displaced people from returning and turning entire villages into military positions". The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 25 April 2018.
  86. ^ Thomas McGee, 'Nothing is ours anymore' – HLP rights violations in Afrin, Syria (2019) in Reclaiming Home: The struggle for Socially Just Housing, Land and Property Rights in Syria, Iraq and Libya
  87. ^ "Erdogan says to extend Syria operation despite risk of U.S. confrontation". Reuters. 24 January 2018.
  88. ^ Nordland, Rod (7 February 2018). "On Northern Syria Front Line, U.S. and Turkey Head into Tense Face-off". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  89. ^ "Terrified children, empty streets in Syria's Afrin as Turkey attacks". France 24. 20 January 2018.