Turkey to rename U.S. Embassy street after Syria offensive

ANKARA, Turkey - Ankara’s mayor has announced plans to rename a street where the U.S. Embassy is located after the Turkish military offensive in Syria that is deepening tensions between the United States and Turkey. Mayor Mustafa Tuna said in a tweet on Monday that Nevzat Tandogan Street (nev-ZOT tan-doh-AHN) will be called Olive Branch Street.

Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch last month to drive a Syrian Kurdish militia out of northwest Syria. The militia is a major U.S. ally in fighting the Islamic State group; Turkey has labeled the Syrian Kurds as “terrorists.”

In November, Turkey renamed the street where the United Arab Emirates has its embassy after a long-dead Ottoman military commander. It was a reaction to an Emirati minister’s retweet of a claim that the Turkish president’s “forefathers” pillaged the holy city of Medina.