200 Syrian refugees returned home: Turkey

The defence ministry of Turkey announced about 200 Syrian refugees had returned home following Ankara's offensive against Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria.

In a statement, Turkey's defence ministry said that close to 200 of our Syrian brothers who had fled have voluntarily and safely returned to their homes and lands.

On October 9 Turkey launched its offensive, aiming to push back "terrorist" elements from east of the Euphrates River and built a "safe zone" stretching at least 30 km into Syria to resettle around 3.6 million refugees.

Turkey designated the PKK as "terrorist" organisation by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union. But unlike Washington, Ankara and, Brussels does not consider YPG and its political wing-the Democratic Union Party-as "terrorist" groups.

According to defence ministry in Jarablus some families had taken refuge. Jarablus is a Syrian town to the west of the Euphrates that was brought under Turkish control during an operation in 2016.

With the re-establishment of security and peace in the Peace Spring operation area, it is expected that the returns will continue, the ministry said.

To return from Tal Abyad area to Jarablus 70 families consisting of 295 people, have taken the road to return.