Renewed armed hostilities will undermine stability in Syria: EU Syria Envoy
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A sustainable solution to the Syrian conflict "cannot be achieved militarily," the Head of the EU Delegation to Syria, Dan Stoenescu, told Kurdistan 24 on Monday amidst Turkish threats to launch another operation in northeast Syria
"Renewed armed hostilities in the northeast will further undermine the stability of the whole region, exacerbate civilian suffering and provoke further displacements," Stoenescu said.
After Turkey launched an operation in the Hasakah province in northeast Syria in October 2019, a number of EU countries suspended arms sales to Turkey. This was one of the reasons why Turkey initially opposed Swedish and Finnish NATO membership.
Moreover, in 2019 the EU also called on Turkey to cease "the unilateral military action" and warned that a Turkish operation would increase civilian suffering.
Read More: EU warns that Turkish invasion will 'exacerbate civilian suffering'
Also, last year, the EU Parliament called on Turkey to "withdraw its troops from Northern Syria which it is illegally occupying outside of any UN mandate."
Since late May, Turkey has repeatedly stated it will launch a new operation in northern Syria to dislodge the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
However, the main stakeholders in the Syrian conflict, the US, Iran, and Russia, have opposed such plans.
A tripartite meeting on Syria is being held in the Iranian capital Tehran on Tuesday between the leaders of Iran, Turkey, and Russia. Turkey will try to get Iranian and Russian consent for a new operation at that meeting.
Iran's Tasnim News Agency reported that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that any military attack in Syria would harm Turkey, Syria, and the region and only "benefit terrorists."
The EU Syria Envoy Dan Stoenescu said that the prospects for the UN-led political process to achieve peace in Syria would be more difficult if there are renewed armed hostilities in Syria.
"The European Union remains committed to the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Syria, which can only be assured through a genuine political transition in line with UNSCR 2254," he said.
UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2254, adopted in 2015, calls for a ceasefire and a political settlement in Syria.
However, several attempts to reach a political settlement through the Geneva peace talks have failed.
Read More: Geneva Syria constitutional talks postponed for unclear reasons
Last Saturday, the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Geir O. Pedersen, announced that the Syrian constitutional talks in Geneva from July 25-29 are "no longer possible."
Stoenescu also told Kurdistan 24 that the EU "regrets" that the ninth session of the Syrian-led UN-facilitated Constitutional Committee was postponed.
Moreover, he underlined that "good faith engagement of all parties involved in the Syrian settlement is crucial to the success of the process."