Iran rejects, Russia watching .. Turkey announces the completion of preparations for the military operation in Syria

Turkey said on Tuesday it had completed preparations to start a military operation in northeastern Syria, and while Iran confirmed its rejection of the move, Russia only said it was monitoring developments.

"All preparations for an operation have been completed," the Turkish Defense Ministry said in a statement on Twitter.

She added that it is necessary to establish a safe zone or a corridor of peace to contribute to stability and peace in the region, and to enable the Syrians to live in a safe atmosphere.

Parliament is debating a bill to extend a memorandum authorizing the government to carry out military operations outside the border in Syria and Iraq.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the safe area they seek to form in Syria is the only humanitarian and logical way to give the Syrian people the opportunity to return to their homes and areas.

"Our main goal is to establish peace in areas east of the Euphrates. We aim to house two million people in the safe area, including one million who will live in the existing areas, and the other one million will live in areas that we will create."

Erdogan said earlier the operation could take place from time to time "without warning."

Vice President Fuad Aktai said that the time has come to establish a safe zone in northern Syria, stressing that his country is not moving under the pressure of threats.

He added that Ankara would not allow the establishment of what he described as a terrorist corridor or a neighboring terrorist state.

Contradictory signals
The completion of Turkey's preparations comes amid contradictory signals from the United States about whether President Donald Trump allows the attack.

Trump ordered his troops to withdraw from the border area between Turkey and Syria after a telephone conversation with the Turkish president.

But he adjusted his position Monday under pressure from international condemnation and criticism within his Republican camp, and threatened to "eliminate" the Turkish economy if Ankara does anything it deems "inappropriate".

Ankara plans to establish a "safe zone" on the border with northern Syria, which would separate Kurdish rebel-held areas from the Turkish border and allow the return of nearly two million Syrian refugees.

Iranian objection
For its part, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Tehran opposes any Turkish military operation in Syria.

The statement added that the ministry was following "the worrying news about the possibility of Turkish military forces entering Syrian territory, and believes that this will not end the Turkish security concerns and will lead to large-scale material and human damage."

Foreign Minister Mehmet Javad Zarif assured his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu that he opposed the possible operation, his respect for the territorial integrity of Syria and the need to maintain stability and security of the country by fighting terrorism, state television reported.

Zarif pointed out that the Adana agreement signed 21 years ago is the best way to reassure Turkish concern about terrorism.

The agreement, signed in 1998, provides for Syria's full cooperation with Turkey in the fight against cross-border terrorism. It gives Ankara the right to pursue terrorists inside Syria to a depth of five kilometers, and to take necessary security measures if its national security is compromised.

Follow the situation
In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the United States and Turkey had not informed his country in advance of any arrangements they had reached on plans to withdraw US troops from northeastern Syria.

He told reporters on Tuesday that Russia would wait to see how many US troops would be withdrawn, adding that other details of the plans were still unclear. "We are following the situation very closely."

Ankara has carried out two operations in Syria in the past, the first against IS in 2016 and the second against the YPG last year, with support from armed factions affiliated with the Syrian opposition.