BALADI NEWS
A senior U.S. official from the White House said Wednesday that Washington has not heard of any evidence of "ethnic cleansing" by Turkey in northeastern Syria.
"As of now, I don't think we've seen any evidence of ethnic cleansing," the official told the reporters via telephone, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "And so, you know -- that would be a very serious thing if it took place."
On Oct. 9, Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring to eliminate terrorists from northern Syria east of the Euphrates River to secure Turkey’s borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.
That action drew criticism from naysayers from around the world who claimed the Turkish military is conducting "ethnic cleansing" against the Kurdish population in Syria's northeast.
"I hope that won't happen. We've been told by our Turkish colleagues that there are no such plans. And so it's -- I don’t expect it will happen," the official added.
The phone briefing came hours after Washington lifted all sanctions imposed on Ankara over its operation. That included two Turkish ministries and three ministers.
Source: Anadolu Agency.