Turkey says military operations on its southern borders will continue
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Turkish National Security Council announced in a statement on Thursday evening continuation of military operations on its southern borders.
“The ongoing military operations and those that will be implemented on the country’s southern borders are a necessity for Turkey’s national security,” the statement added.
“Military operations do not target the sovereignty of neighboring countries,” according to the statement.
Since last April, Turkey has launched a large-scale military operation “Claw-Lock” on its southern borders within the territory of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (RKG).
The meeting of the Turkish Security council came days after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey would launch a new military operation inside Syrian territory.
The statement did not confirm the preparation for any new military operation in northern Syria. It did not also mention more details about the operations that will be carried out on the southern borders.
The last Turkish military operation inside Syria was in October 2019, and it was called “Spring of Peace.”
The Turkish President’s statements drew negative reactions, as well as international and regional concern, according to official statements.
The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) said that “any Turkish military operation inside Syrian territory would be a targeting of Syrian sovereignty and the social fabric. It would also expose the Syrian territories to the occupation.”
At the United Nations, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that the priority for war-battered Syria should be a political solution and humanitarian assistance. “We stand for the territorial integrity of Syria, and what Syria needs is not more military operations from any quarter,” Dujarric told reporters on Tuesday.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price said that “We expect Turkey to live up to the October 2019 joint statement, including to halt offensive operations in northeast Syria.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian government called on the United Nations and member states on Wednesday to deal with this file seriously. It also demanded them not to remain silent towards the Turkish practices, and to study the dangerous impact of the Turkish project on the efforts to resolve the Syrian war.