Turkish military in training. File photoANKARA, Jun 8The operation of the Turkish army in northern Syria will begin this week, according to the Hurriyet newspaper, whose correspondent visited the area of alleged hostilities. «While the operation is expected to begin this week, activity in the region has increased. Armed Forces units are deployed on the front lines in the rural areas of Tel Rifat and Manbij. To start the operation, they are waiting for news from Turkey,» the newspaper writes. As President Tayyip Erdogan said earlier, the armed forces will conduct «anti-terrorist operations.» According to media reports, they will be held in four Syrian regions. Hurriyet also reported that during negotiations with Russia, it was decided to temporarily stop preparations for hostilities in the Ain Issa area, where the highway (M4) passes, connecting the cities of Hasaka, Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor in the east and Aleppo in the north. According to the publication, Ankara did not receive the approval of Moscow, which sent reinforcements to the area. Meanwhile, according to the newspaper, the Turkish Air Force launched targeted strikes on the objects of the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Tel Rifat and Manbij to prevent growing attacks . According to the newspaper, the declared goal is to clear the two districts of militants and «return 500,000 people back to their homes.» Sweden and Finland on NATO membership
