Holding of the Operation Olive Branch didn’t weaken the fight against the “Islamic State” (IS) terrorist group, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

Axar.az informs citing Turkish media.

The words that the IS terrorists were increasingly strengthening their positions in Syria during the Operation Olive Branch are not true, he said.

The IS has weakened a lot, but this is not the merit of the YPG, because it was the Turkish Armed Forces that fought against the IS, he added.

“The Turkish army is the only one that fought against the IS,” Cavusoglu said.

He also noted that all terrorist groups in the region, including YPG, PYD and IS, are controlled by external forces.

On Jan. 20, the Turkish Armed Forces, together with the Free Syrian Army, launched the Operation Olive Branch in Afrin, Syria.