On Tuesday, the United States warned Turkey against launching any new military operations in northern Syria, stressing that such escalation would endanger the lives of US troops stationed in the region.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Monday that his country would soon launch a new military operation in northern Syria to establish a “safe zone” 30km deep along its border with its southern neighbor.
State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters on Tuesday that the United States was “deeply concerned” by the announcement.
“We condemn any escalation of tensions and support the maintenance of the current ceasefire lines,” he added.
Since 2016, Turkey has launched three military operations in Syria to oust Syrian Kurdish fighters who allied with the United States in its campaign against ISIS.
Turkey launched its last military operation in Syria in October 2019, when US President Donald Trump announced that his country’s forces had completed their mission in Syria and would leave the country.
The Turkish attack that day sparked outrage in the United States, even among Republican presidential allies, and his deputy, Mike Pence, traveled to Turkey, where he struck a deal with Erdogan to end the conflict.
“We expect Turkey to abide by the joint statement issued in October 2019,” Price said.
“We are aware of Turkey’s legitimate security concerns on its southern borders, but any new aggression will further undermine regional stability and jeopardize US forces engaged in the coalition campaign against ISIS,” he added.
The Turkish president’s remarks about the new attack on Syria came as he threatened to block Finland and Sweden from joining NATO.
Turkey has long accused the two Scandinavian countries of harboring activists of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, a separatist organization banned in Turkey.
Source: Lebanon Debate
