Iran to Turkey: Military operation in Syria to complicate matters

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
30 Nov 2022 14:42
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Iranian FM expresses to his Turkish counterpart Tehran's understanding of Ankara's security concerns in Syria but tells him that ground escalation will complicate the situation.

Iranian FM Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Turkish FM Mevlut Cavusoglu at a press conference in Ankara, June 27, 2022

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu that Tehran is aware of Ankara's fears regarding threats against the country from northern Syria, stressing however that a ground military operation will only complicate the issue without solving it.

Amir-Abdollahian also noted that Ankara could resolve the threats by continuing security talks with the Syrian government.

Iran's top diplomat said his country is prepared to provide any kind of assistance required to help solve the political situation between Ankara and Damascus.

The Turkish FM stated his country's position on several developing issues and commended Tehran's positive and constructive role and ensured the necessity to continue talks.

Turkey announced earlier this month the launch of "Operation Claw-Sword" offensive with air raids targeting the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in both Iraq and Syria and has on several occasions announced that a ground operation is a main option on the table and could start at any time.

Turkish President also mentioned on Monday that "the terrorist organization (PKK and YPG), which has suffered great losses in operations Turkey carried out along its southern borders, showed its dirty face by shedding the blood of innocents with its mortar attacks on civilian settlements on our borders," in reference to the shelling of Turkish villages from territories in northern Syria controlled by the Kurdish militants.

Erdogan expressed Turkey's determination to establish a 30-kilometer-deep (18.6-mile) security strip next to its borders continues, claiming that it is something previously sought to do with US and Russian cooperation on its southern border.

UN's special envoy for Syria, Geir Pederson, warned on Tuesday that the lack of efforts to resolve the conflict in Syria's borders with Turkey may lead to a scenario wherein further escalation might take place and urged all parties involved in the conflict to de-escalate and abide by the ceasefire which was established in 2020.

"Let me stress that Turkey, the armed opposition, and the SDF should de-escalate now. And this call for restraint and de-escalation is relevant for all other areas in Syria too: Idlib has seen very concerning incidents, including rounds of pro-Government air and ground-based strikes," Pedersen stated.

Russia has also asked Turkey to refrain from a full-scale ground offensive in Syria, senior Russian negotiator Alexander Lavrentyev announced earlier last week, because such actions could trigger an escalation of violence as he put it.