Monday, 1 March, 2021 - 10:45 A Turkish military vehicle on the outskirts of Tal Abyad town along the Syrian-Turkish border (File photo: AFP) Ankara- Saeed Abdulrazek Turkey said its military operation “Spring Shield” carried out last year between February 27 and March 05 averted a major humanitarian tragedy in Idlib. The Turkish Ministry of Defense said that the operation aimed to prevent Syrian regime forces from expanding further in the area while ensuring the security of the Turkish troops. The Ministry issued a statement via its Twitter account, on the occasion of the first anniversary of the military operation, indicating that it also prevented a wave of migration towards the Turkish border, and maintained the security of displaced citizens, ensuring their safe and voluntary return. The statement added that the Spring Shield, which was carried out by land and air forces, was successfully completed on March 5, 2020, and resulted in the neutralization of 3,473 members of the Syrian regime forces and various military equipment.