U.S. raises concern over Turkey’s plans for new offensive along Syria border

U.S. State Division spokesperson Ned Value speaks throughout a information convention in Washington, U.S. March 10, 2022. Manuel Balce Ceneta/Pool by way of REUTERS/File Picture

WASHINGTON, Could 24 (Reuters) – The US on Tuesday raised concern over Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s plans to launch new navy operations alongside the nation’s southern border, saying any new offensive in northern Syria would undermine regional stability and put U.S. troops in danger.

“We’re deeply involved about studies and discussions of potential elevated navy exercise in northern Syria, and particularly, its influence on the civilian inhabitants there,” State Division spokesperson Ned Value mentioned.

“We acknowledge Turkey’s respectable safety issues on Turkey’s southern border, however any new offensive would additional undermine regional stability and put in danger U.S. forces and the coalition’s marketing campaign towards ISIS,” he mentioned.

Erdogan on Monday mentioned Ankara would quickly launch new navy operations alongside its southern borders to create protected zones 30 km (20 miles) deep to fight what he characterised as terrorist threats from these areas.

The operation will probably goal the north of Syria, the place Turkey has launched a number of navy operations since 2016 to undermine the Kurdish Individuals’s Protection Items (YPG), an armed Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Staff Get together (PKK).

Ankara has performed three incursions into northern Syria since 2016, seizing a whole bunch of kilometers of land and pushing some 30 km deep into the nation, in operations focusing on primarily the U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish YPG militia.

It has additionally stepped up navy operations towards PKK militants in northern Iraq lately.

Turkey views each teams as a single terrorist entity. Its NATO allies solely view the PKK as a terrorist group, not the YPG.

The US was anticipating Turkey to dwell as much as a October 2019 joint assertion, together with a halt in offensive operations in northeastern Syria, Value mentioned. “We condemn any escalation. We help upkeep of the present ceasefire traces.”

Erdogan’s assertion got here amid Turkey’s objections on Finland and Sweden turning into NATO members. Analysts say his shock announcement mirrored his perception that the West wouldn’t oppose such operations at a time when it wants Ankara’s help for the Nordic international locations’ bid to affix NATO. learn extra

Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Simon Lewis

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