Video footage that has gone viral on social media shows a large group of police officers in the northern Syrian city of Jarablus who had been trained by Turkey’s Security General Directorate chanting Islamic slogans and praising Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
During the 23-second video, scores of policemen are seen raising their right fists and belting out slogans in Arabic, including the repeated shouting of “Allahu Akbar,” ”Long live free Syria” and “Long live Erdoğan.”
The video footage, which was initially shared by Al Aan TV reporter Jenan Moussa, attracted strong reactions from hundreds of Turkish social media users and has been retweeted hundreds of times.
The Turkish military and Syrian rebels launched Operation Euphrates Shield against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in northern Syria on Aug. 24 and took control of Jarablus and its surrounding areas in a matter of weeks.