Iraq News Now

Iran against Turkey’s plans to establish military posts in Syria: spokesperson

Iran against Turkeys plans to establish military posts in Syria spokesperson
Iran against Turkey’s plans to establish military posts in Syria: spokesperson

2019-10-21 00:00:00 - Source: kurdistan 24

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iran is against Turkish plans to establish military checkpoints inside northern Syria, a spokesperson for the Iranian foreign ministry said on Monday.

During a weekly press conference in Tehran, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Abbas Mousavi called on Turkey to respect Syria’s territorial integrity.

“We are against Ankara’s establishing of military posts in Syria,” Mousavi stated, adding the conflict “should be resolved by diplomatic means.”

“Syria’s integrity should be respected,” he said.

Iran is a close ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and has supported the Syrian regime in the years-long civil war in the country.

Turkey’s incursion in northern Syria against Syrian Kurdish forces began on Oct. 9. The offensive has left at least 235 people dead and displaced over 300,000 others, according to Syrian Kurdish officials.

A controversial US-brokered ceasefire has temporarily paused heavy clashes.

Related Article: US announces northeast Syria ceasefire, but many questions remain

Ankara wants the Kurdish elements of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the People’s Protection Units (YPG), to withdraw from the Turkish border up to about 32 kilometers southward.

As per the purported ceasefire, the YPG, whom Turkey considers an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and, therefore, a terrorist organization, has 120 hours to make its withdrawal, which started on Friday.





Sponsored Links