Turkey occupies Syrian territory under pretext of establishing safe zones, says Future Syria Party
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – On Sunday, head of the Future Syria Party Ibrahim al-Qaftan said that Turkey occupies several Syrian territories under the pretext of establishing safe zones, though these zones “have turned into occupied areas where the rights of the population are violated.”
“During the years of the revolutionary movement in Syria, Turkey did not present any gesture of goodwill, respect for the population, or positive interaction with the Syrian parties, and didn’t step forward for any solution to the crisis,” al-Qaftan added in a statement to North Press.
He pointed out that Turkey is trying to use the Syrian crisis to achieve its interests in the region. Turkey has used the pretexts of stabilizing Syria, fighting terrorism and establishing a safe zone, achieving expansion and carving out parts of Syria.
On Saturday, the Turkish Anadolu Agency quoted Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, who claimed that “Turkey is the NATO country that has shouldered the greatest burden to relieve the suffering of the Syrian people.”
Akar added, “We expect our allies to cooperate with us in the fight against terrorism, to seek together to find solutions to Turkey’s serious security concerns, and to stand by us. We respect the borders, territorial integrity and sovereignty of all our neighbors. We have no ambitions in anyone’s territory. Our fight is against terrorism and against terrorists.”
The continuous Turkish statements regarding the region’s issues reveal the fluctuation of the Turkish position and its attempts to get close at times to European countries and the United States and sometimes to Russia, according to al-Qaftan.
The Turkish government has backed terrorist groups and fought against democratic movements in northeastern Syria, al-Qaftan added.