Syria says Turkish operations violate UN resolutions
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Syrian government on Saturday strongly condemned a motion by the Turkish parliament that extends authorization for the Turkish Army to carry out cross-border operations in Iraq and Syria, the country's state-run SANA news agency reported.
An official source at the Foreign and Expatriates Ministry told SANA that the Turkish government "has become a direct threat to peace and security in the region and the world as he (Turkey) continues to launch military attacks on the Syrian territories, in violation of the UN Security Council's resolutions related to the situation in Syria."
The Syrian government source also blamed the inaction of the UN Security Council "in the face of the continued Turkish occupation of the Syrian territories," claiming that it enables "the head of the Turkish regime persist in his crimes and aggressions against Syria, continue to occupy Syrian lands and impose demographic change, and Turkification."
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The official also accused Turkey of "supporting the armed terrorist groups which were designated by the UNSC as terrorist entities".
The official stressed that Syria reserves its right to defend itself against violations of its sovereignty.
Turkey's state news agency Anadolu earlier reported that the Turkish parliament ratified a motion extending authorization to launch cross-border operations in Iraq and Syria for two more years on Tuesday.
The ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, its junior partner the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), and the opposition Good (IYI) Party backed the motion.
The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), on the other hand, voted against it.
There are fears that Turkey will launch another offensive operation against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the near future. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that Turkey would eliminate all "threats" in northern Syria after a guided missile attack killed two Turkish military police officers in Syria's Azaz region earlier this month.
On Thursday, Ilham Ahmed, the president of the Executive Committee of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), told the Hawar News Agency (ANHA) that the areas around Tel Rifaat, Kobani, or Manbij, could be the targets of a Turkish operation.
Ankara has carried out three cross-border military operations in Syria to date. They were Operation Euphrates Shield (August 2016-March 2017) in northern Aleppo, Operation Olive Branch (January 2018-March 2018) in Afrin, and Operation Peace Spring (October 2019) in an area between Tal Abyad and Serekaniye.
It's unlikely, however, that Turkey will launch a new operation without first getting a green light from the United States and Russia. Recently, Russia stepped up airstrikes against Turkish-backed groups in northwestern Syria, including yesterday in the northwest Idlib province.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to meet US President Joe Biden at the UN COP26 climate conference on Monday in Glasgow, Scotland.
The two presidents already briefly shook hands during the G20 summit in Rome on Saturday.
Reuters reported on Saturday that President Biden will warn Erdogan on Sunday that any precipitous actions would not benefit the US-Turkish relations.