London: Russia gave Turkey the greenlight to attack Kurdish-controlled enclaves in northern Syria on the condition that those areas be handed over to the Syrian army once the Kurds were defeated, a source in Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Gulf News on the condition of anonymity.
During the meeting that took place two days before the operation began, Russia agreed to evacuate its military personnel from the Menagh airbase, which was assaulted by Turkish fighter jets on Saturday.
The revelation has sparked speculation that the operation’s peculiar name —Operation Olive Branch — is in fact meant for the Syrian government.