Syria Condemns Turkish Military Operation, Shelling Kills 4 Civilians

In a statement on Wednesday, the Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned in the strongest terms the reckless statements and hostile intentions of the Turkish government and the military build-up at the common border, which it said constitutes an outrageous violation of the international law and a blatant breach of the UN Security Council’s resolutions that affirm respect for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Turkey launched a military operation in northeast Syria on Wednesday. The so-called Operation Peace Spring began with air raids on Tuesday.

SANA reported on Wednesday that three Syrian children and a woman have been killed in a shell attack from the Turkish forces on a house in Bashiryah neighborhood in Qamishli.

In its statement, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said Turkey’s “hostile behavior” is part of its policy of expansionist ambitions in the Syrian territories, stressing that such policy could not be justified under any pretext.

“What the Turkish regime claims regarding the security of the borders is refuted by this regime’s ignorance of Adana Agreement,” the statement noted.

Syria holds certain Kurdish organizations accountable for what is taking place due to their subordination to the US project, as they have been previously warned against the dangers of the project and serving the US policy against their homeland, but these organizations have insisted on being tools in the hands of foreigners, the Syrian Foreign Ministry deplored.

The statement also reaffirmed the Damascus government’s determination to confront the Turkish aggression by all legitimate means, saying Syria is ready to embrace all of its misled citizens if they return to the correct path in a way that would guarantee Syria’s unity and territorial integrity.

“Syria reminds that if Erdogan’s regime insists on launching its aggression, it will classify itself as one of the terrorist organization and armed groups and it will absolutely lose its position as a guarantor of the Astana process and it will deal a strong blow to the political process as a whole,” the statement concluded.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the offensive is aimed at removing Kurdish-led forces from the border area and creating a “safe zone” to which millions of Syrian refugees can be returned.

The move came after the US announced it was withdrawing its troops from the region, effectively abandoning the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The SDF, led by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), has appealed to the US and its allies for a “no-fly zone” to protect it from the Turkish attacks. Turkey considers the YPG a “terrorist” group.