Photo: Council of the Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation
PM:05:19:03/06/2022
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SULAIMANI — Russia’s Spokesperson for the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, said on Thursday (June 2) Moscow
has called on Turkey to hold back from launching its new military operation in
Syria.
Zakharova said for Turkey to begin operations
without an agreement with the Syrian government was a "direct violation of
Syria’s sovereignty” and could become a cause for "further escalation of
tension” in the country.
She also
stated Turkey’s military action’s "could lead to a dangerous deterioration of
the already difficult situation in Syria.”
Turkey’s
state-run Anadolu Agency on Wednesday cited Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan as
saying Ankara was "set to clear two areas of northern Syria, near the Turkish
border, of terrorist elements.”
Turkey
considers the Syrian Kurdish-led People’s Protection Units (YPG) to be an extension
of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has waged a decades-long war
against the Turkish military. Ankara considers both groups to be terrorist
organizations.
Turkish
Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said in April that Turkey would continue its
cross-border operations against the YPG and the PKK until "the last terrorist is
neutralized.”
Erdogan
said the planned operations would include northern Syria’s Tal Rifat and
Manbij, in order to create a "30 km security zone south of the Turkish border.”
The
Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), also
known as Rojava, falls on the Syrian border with Iraq and Turkey.
The US
State Department Spokesman, Ned Price, warned on Tuesday Turkey’s operation in
Syria would destabilize the region and said the US was "deeply concerned” about
increased military activity in the north of Syria and the impact on the
civilian population.
Erdogan has
said the US and Russia have failed to live up to their commitments to provide a
safe zone in the border region.
(NRT
Digital Media)