Operation Olive Branch

In today's conjuncture, international power centers desire to design a geography divided into smaller pieces, weak, and exposed to external influences, sharing all wealth through self-created maps, and ruling over energy and raw material resources and corridors at will.

Proxy wars that cannot be prevented due to dirty political ambitions of the international community displace millions of helpless people from their homes; terror organizations whose origins and financing are blatantly obvious are equipped with modern weapons to oppress innocent people through attacks.

This recent crisis is a manifestation that dirty ambitions over our geography—especially the Middle East—never cease, as seeds of discord are finely planned and thrown into our midst, turning our region into a bloody chessboard for capitalist interests.

In such an environment, confronting international power hypocrites of democracy who posture as human rights defenders, Turkey stands tall beside the oppressed on every axis, surviving severe tribulations including treacherous coup attempts and facing threats from within and without.

We cannot accept that structures stationed right along our border as extensions of terror organizations in our country are supported under a simple name change by allies we trusted. How can US arming of a terror organization like equipping an army contrary to all international agreements reconcile with the concept of strategic partnership?

Furthermore, the silence of allied nations in NATO against our persistent requests for cooperation and patient proposals to resolve the issue is thought-provoking.

Despite the insensitivity of the entire world, Turkey—hosting 5 million Syrian refugees regardless of origin or sect and calling on world nations to join hands against terror organizations—must break this game played against it.

No nation can sit idly while a treacherous plan against it unfolds or remain silent against a dangerous terror corridor. In this conjuncture, our state acted in accordance with its natural right under international law to protect its borders, launching "Operation Olive Branch" emphasizing peace to clear the region of terror and secure tranquility within its borders.

Amidst blood and tears where millions of brothers are displaced, these events demonstrate how desperately the Islamic world needs to get to know one another, develop sustainable joint projects, protect its own heritage, and determine its own future.

In this axis, as the Union of NGOs of the Islamic World with 340 member NGOs across 65 countries, we believe Turkey's justification in this operation under international law is indisputable, praying to Allah to grant victory to the Turkish Army in clearing mischief and establishing lasting peace.

Respectfully announced to the public.

Atty. Ali Kurt
Secretary General, UNIW