US raises concerns about Turkish threats of attacking Syria, Iraq
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – US Department of State raises concerns about threats made by Turkish officials of expanding attacks in Syria and Iraq.
Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said in a press briefing that the US remains concerned about any military escalation that can be launched by Turkey in northern Syria, particularly about its impact on civilian populations in the region.
A few hours before, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan claimed that the two assailants who carried out the attack had been trained in Syria, and threatened that his country had reserved the right to strike a broader range of Kurdish targets in Syria and Iraq in retaliation for the attack.
On Oct. 1, Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that two “terrorists” carried out a bomb attack in front of the ministry buildings in Ankara.
The Deputy Spokesperson also raised concern about the impacts of such operation on the ongoing efforts to defeat Islamic State (ISIS).
“We continue to advocate for de-escalation and the maintenance of ceasefires as a key pillar of our policy in the region,” Patel added.
For his part, Commander in Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi firmly dismissed the claims of the Turkish officials.