There's been mounting criticism over Turkey's attack on a Kurdish militia.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan defended the move, stressing the military operation aims to support Syria's territorial and political integrity.
Kim Mok-yeon shares with us his remarks.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan refuted international criticism regarding his anti-terror campaign in Syria.
Taking aim at the European Union and Middle East powers Saudi Arabia and Egypt, which have voiced opposition to the operation, the Turkish president said those objecting to Turkey's actions were "not honest" and threatened to permit Syrian refugees in Turkey to move to Europe.
"..I say it again. If you try to label this operation as an invasion, it's very simple, we will open the gates and send 3.6 million refugees your way."
Speaking at the Turkish parliament, Erdogan stressed that Turkish forces had killed 109 terrorists since Wednesday and that with the latest movement, Ankara seeks to prevent the creation of a "terror state" along its border with Syria.
"...Just like all the other operations carried out by Turkey, the aim of the Peace Spring is to contribute to Syria's territorial and political integrity."
The Turkish offensive in northern Syria has been underway since Wednesday, with airstrikes and artillery fire targeting Kurdish forces on the ground.
The operation began just days after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the border area.
Due to this, Trump has been heavily criticized for reportedly giving the green light to launch the offensive, but his secretary of state Mike Pompeo flatly denied such allegations, calling it false claims.
Kim Mok-yeon, Arirang news.