The Syrian Foreign Ministry said that it would consider any Turkish military incursion into its territory "war crimes and crimes against humanity", two days after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced preparations for a new operation aimed at expanding "safe areas" in northern Syria, in a move that sparked - on the one hand, Others - American concern.
Today, Wednesday, the ministry announced in a statement that it had sent a letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Security Council describing Turkey's actions as illegitimate, adding that "they amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity."
For its part, Reuters news agency quoted the pro-government Yeni Şafak newspaper as saying that preparations have been made for a new operation with the aim of expanding the "safe zones" that have already been established in northern Syria, with the identification of several objectives.
Among these targets are the areas of Tel Rifaat, Ayn al-Arab (Kobani), Ain Issa and Manbij, all of which are under the control of the US-backed Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara considers an extension of the PKK.
However, according to the agency, there are so far no indications of Turkish military movements in northern Syria.
anti-terrorism
On Monday, the Turkish president said that Ankara would soon establish safe areas 30 km outside its southern borders to combat what he described as terrorist threats, in a likely reference to Kurdish armed groups in northern Syria.
Erdogan said decisions regarding military operations would be taken at a meeting of the National Security Council on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the United States expressed deep concern about the Turkish president's plans to launch new military operations on his country's southern border.
"We understand Turkey's legitimate security concerns on its southern border, but any new offensive would undermine stability in the region and endanger US forces and the coalition's campaign against ISIS," State Department spokesman Ned Price said.
In New York, United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric stressed the international organization's rejection of any new military action in Syria, whether by Turkey or any other party.
In response to a question about the military operation Erdogan announced his desire to launch in Syria, Dujarric told reporters, "We are defending the territorial integrity of Syria. What Syria needs is not more military operations, whatever their source."
Since 2016, Turkey has carried out 3 military operations in Syria, the last of which was in October 2019 when former US President Donald Trump announced that his country's forces had accomplished their mission in Syria, and would withdraw from this country.