DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Observers and political pundits agree on the seriousness of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statements about his intensions of launching a military operation in northern Syria, while simultaneously stressing that Syria will stand up against any aggression.
On May 23, Erdogan announced his intensions of launching a new military operation on northern Syria to push out the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which he regards as terrorists. Later on June 1 Erdogan specified his goals in the two northern cities of Manbij and Tel Rifaat.
Omar Rahmon, member of the National Reconciliation Committee of the Syrian government, believes that the Turkish threats to northern Syria are “real and realistic.”
“These threats are based on an old Turkish scheme and old ambitions, that can be traced back to the era of the Ottoman Empire,” Rahmon added to North Press.
He said that “Turkey’s greed in northern Syria has always been there. It is waiting for the appropriate international and regional circumstances to annex these areas.”
There are many rumors about postponing the operation, “some people say that it was postponed to an unspecified date, while others say it would happen after Eid al-Adha [which starts on July 9 and ends on July 13],” the politician said.
The National Reconciliation Committee of the Syrian government was established in 2018 which has managed the settlement process in Daraa and other Syrian governorates. It is supervised by Russia, according to reports.
Syrian government’s role
In several recent statements, the Syrian government has expressed its rejection of any aggression on its lands, whether from Turkey or Israel.
These statements signals Syria’s official position that “it is against this intervention and will do everything in its power to prevent the Turkish occupation, whether through popular resistance or through the Syrian army,” according to the politician.
“However, the issue is not only related to the Syrian government, but rather to the SDF as well, which is the main military force that controls that region. However, it does not have the weapons to fight the Turkish aggression on its own,” Rahmon added.
So it is incumbent upon the Syrian government to defend its territory, “but that region is not under the government’s control, and if we do not want Turkey to occupy it, the SDF must give it to the [Syrian] state.”
Unethical threats
Muhammad al-Lahham, a pseudonym for a politician from Hama Governorate, said, “Turkey is moving within a specific margin, and it is very cunning in that given margin, but there are lines drawn for it by the great powers that it cannot cross.”
“The Russians stressed that they will not compromise on Syria’s sovereignty, and the Syrian state gave a clear message that it will stand up to any international occupation, which is evident looking at the huge reinforcements of the army,” al-Lahham added to North Press.
Under International Law, “threats of using force in international conflicts is not allowed, and according to Islamic law, these threats are unethical,” al-Lahham added.