Turkey: 260,000 refugees in Syria

A total of 260,000 Syrian refugees have returned to the north of their country of origin, according to Turkish sources. Turkish forces deployed on site provided stability and security and restored infrastructure, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said today.

The Turkish army had begun in 2016 to use the "Euphrates Shield" to expel the Islamic State extremist militia (IS) and the Kurdish YPG militia from the border area. Turkey regards the US-backed peace support group as a terrorist group. The "Shield of the Euphrates" mission has ended in 2017.

Agreement between the EU and Turkey on refugees

Turkey currently hosts more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees. Under the EU-Turkey refugee agreement, the Turkish government receives funds from the European Union to prevent refugees from traveling to Europe.

The main involvement of the Turkish army in Syria and Iraq is directed against Kurdish fighters. In Iraq, she is fighting against members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). On Tuesday, the army announced the death of seven PKK fighters during air strikes in Iraq.