Iran against Turkey's military operation in Syria
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Iran's Foreign Ministry says Tehran opposes Turkey's military action in Syria.
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Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh
The Spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, Saeed Khatibzadeh said in response to a question on Turkey's possible military operation in Syria that Iran opposes "any military action and the use of force on the territory of other countries in order to resolve disputes between them."
Khatibzadeh further said that Iran considers such military action to be "a violation of the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of those countries," according to the Mehr News Agency.
He pointed out that while Tehran understands Ankara's security concerns, it believes that the only way that those concerns can be properly addressed is through dialogue, respect for bilateral agreements with its neighbors, and agreements reached within the Astana talks Format, including respect for Syria's territorial integrity and national sovereignty, as well as respect for the principle of non-use of force.
"Experience has shown in the last few years that military action in other countries not only does not help to solve the problems, but instead it would come with worrying human consequences and will further complicate the situation in the region," he further highlighted.
Khatibzadeh declared that Iran is ready to mediate by playing a role to prevent the escalation of the crisis "and any conflict whose victims will only be defenseless people and civilians."
The Syrian ministry of foreign affairs sent a message to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UN Security Council on Wednesday, protesting against Turkey's plans to establish a "safe zone" on Syrian soil. Damascus considered the move "a form of aggression against Damascus."
"What the Turkish regime is doing to establish a so-called safe zone on Syrian soil is an act of aggression and an act of colonization through which the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seeking to create an [unstable] outpost in Syria," Damascus said on Wednesday in a statement reported by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).
