US diplomacy warned Turkey on Tuesday against launching a new military operation in northern Syria, stressing that it would endanger the lives of US troops.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Monday that the Turkish army would soon launch a new operation in northern Syria to establish a 30km “security zone” along the border.
The United States, through its State Department spokesman Ned Price, has said it is “deeply concerned.”
“We condemn any escalation. We support the maintenance of the current lines of the truce.”
In New York, UN envoy Stefan Duzarik also voiced international opposition to any new Turkish military operation in Syria.
The agency is in favor of defending Syria’s “territorial integrity” and what the country “needs” are no more military operations, no matter where they come from, he said when asked about the expected Turkish operation.
Turkey has launched three attacks in Syria since 2016, aimed at eliminating Syrian Kurdish rebels who have played a key role in the US-led campaign against the Islamic State (IS) jihadist organization. Ankara’s most recent attack on Syrian territory took place in October 2019, when then US President Donald Trump announced that US troops had completed their mission in Syria and were withdrawing.
Amid the outrage of the Republican president’s allies, Vice President Mike Pence then went to Turkey and struck a deal with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to end the fighting.
“We expect Turkey to abide by the joint announcement of October 2019,” Ned Price said.
“We recognize Turkey’s legitimate security concerns on its southern border. But any new attack would further undermine regional stability and jeopardize US forces joining the coalition against IS,” he added.
The Turkish president’s announcement of a new attack comes as Ankara threatens to veto Finland and Sweden joining NATO.
Turkey has long accused the Nordic countries of offering refuge to the Kurdish separatist armed PKK movement, outlawed in Turkey.
Following Trump’s decision in 2019 to withdraw US troops, Kurdish fighters sought to secure the protection of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russia, the main supporter of the Syrian regime.
Russia and Turkey negotiated a ceasefire, which is generally observed to this day.
Mr. Trump quickly revoked his decision to withdraw troops, and about 900 US troops remain officially in Syria as members of the anti-jihadist coalition.
Incumbent President Joe Biden does not appear to have any intention of withdrawing those troops, despite his decision to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan in 2021 after two decades of war.
Source: AMPE
Source: Capital
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
