ANKARA, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said on Saturday that the operation is within legal framework under international law and in line with Turkey's "right to self-defense."

Turkish warplanes and ground forces started a military campaign in Syria's Afrin against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara considers the Syrian branch of Turkey's outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Three Turkish F-16 jets carried out 11 sorties on YPG positions in Afrin in northern Syria near the Turkish border, and hit 108 out of 113 planned targets there, Turkish Armed Forces said in a statement.

The Turkish military also said the ongoing operation was carried out "with respect for Syria's territorial integrity" and in Turkey's rights under international law.

Turkey would notify the Syrian regime of the "Operation Olive Branch" through a letter to its consulate in Istanbul, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said during a televised interview with local NTV.

Merely "terrorists" were targeted, the minister said, noting that the injured were also members of the YPG, according to information gathered from the ground.