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The US defense secretary told Türkiye's defense minister that the Pentagon "strongly opposes" a new military offensive by Türkiye in Syria's north.

Lloyd J. Austin yesterday (November 30) called Hulusi Akar to offer condolences for the deadly November 13 bombing in Taksim, İstanbul, and subsequent attacks in the country's south, according to a readout from the US Department of Defense.

"He also expressed concern over escalating action in northern Syria and Türkiye, including recent airstrikes, some of which directly threatened the safety of U.S. personnel who are working with local partners in Syria to defeat ISIS.

"Secretary Austin called for de-escalation, and shared the Department's strong opposition to a new Turkish military operation in Syria."

A statement released by the National Defense Ministry said Türkiye only targets "terrorists" in its military operations and harming civilians or coalition forces was out of the question.

What happened?

On November 13, a bomb attack in İstanbul's popular tourist area of Taksim killed six people and injured 81 others.

Türkiye claimed the PKK and the Kurdish groups in Syria had orchestrated the attack, citing statements of some suspects. Those groups denied involvement in the attack.

In the early hours of November 20, Türkiye launched airstrikes in the north of Syria and Iraq, targeting Kurdish groups.

Some 70 aircraft hit 89 targets, with 44 targets at a depth of 20 kilometers into Syria, the government announced.

On the same day, a rocket was fired from Syria near the Öncüpınar border crossing in Kilis, injuring eight security personnel. The Afrin Liberation Forces (HRE) claimed the attack.

The next day, a mortar attack targeted the border district of Karkamış in Antep, killing three civilians. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.

The National Defense Ministry announced on November 23 that it had hit more than 400 targets in four days in artillery strikes. (VK)