UPDATE - Turkey neutralizes 3,698 terrorists in Afrin op.

UPDATES WITH MORE ERDOGAN QUOTES

By Merve Yildizalp, Yildiz Nevin Gundogmus, and Ilkay Guder

ANKARA (AA) - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that 3,698 terrorists have been "neutralized" in Afrin, northwestern Syria since the start of Operation Olive Branch.

Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralized" in their statements to imply the terrorists in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.

Speaking at a ceremony at the presidential complex, Erdogan said: "Afrin's town center has been taken under control. We are now renovating schools and hospitals."

He added that Turkey will soon bring peace to Afrin.

Separately, Erdogan said 38 PKK terrorists were neutralized in the northern Iraqi city of Sinjar.

He added that Turkey’s counter-terrorist operations will not stop until the threats along its borders are completely eradicated.

Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch on Jan. 20 to clear the terrorist group YPG/PYD/PKK and Daesh from Afrin in northwestern Syria amid growing threats from the region.

Last Sunday, Turkish-backed troops liberated the town center of Afrin, which had been a major hideout for the YPG/PKK -- the Syrian branch of the PKK -- since 2012.

According to the Turkish General Staff, Operation Olive Branch has aimed at establishing security and stability along Turkey's borders and the region as well as protecting Syrians from terrorist cruelty and oppression.

- Turkish troops shattering PKK

Erdogan said that Turkish-backed operations towards other areas of the Afrin region continue and that Turkish soldiers, police, gendarmes, intelligence officers and Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters are moving ahead by shattering PKK terrorists.

Erdogan said that terrorist groups tried to besiege Turkey along its borders and decried efforts by a terrorist group equipped and trained by Turkey's allies to break Turkey off from the Middle East and North Africa.

Erdogan stated that Turkey launched a previous counter-terrorist operation, Operation Euphrates Shield, a month after the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, and that the efforts to paralyze Turkey on July 15 ended in failure.

Operation Euphrates Shield began in August 2016 and ended in late March 2017 to improve security, support coalition forces, and eliminate the terror threat along Turkey's borders.

Erdogan added that Turkey seized many weapons in the town of Afrin since liberating it.

He also stressed that Turkish forces do not go anyplace to occupy but rather to provide stability and clear away terrorists.

- PKK tries to stir up new unrest, clashes

Erdogan added that unlike Turkey, the U.S. isn’t trying to pave the way for Syrians to return to their homes by providing stability.

"On the contrary, the terrorist organization [YPG/PKK] the U.S. is protecting is constantly laying the groundwork for new unrest and clashes with their efforts to change the demographic structure of the region," Erdogan said.

While Turkey has fought the YPG/PKK, the U.S. has called it a “reliable ally” in the fight against Daesh -- even giving it weapons support -- against Turkish objections that it is the Syrian branch of the terrorist PKK.

In its 30-year war against Turkey, the PKK terror group has taken some 40,000 lives.

Decrying the attempt of the YPG/PKK to re-brand itself as the SDF, Erdogan said, "You are only fooling yourselves, you can't fool us."

Erdogan also said the U.S. should explain why they gave weapons to the terrorist YPG/PKK for free but refused to sell arms to Turkey.