Tabnak – As the Turkish army’s operation against Kurdish groups in north-western Syria is entering its third day, international parties involved in the Syrian issue express concern over its possible implications. While urging an end to Ankara’s military move, Iran has underlined the preservation of Syria’s territorial integrity.
Iranian state media Press TV reports that Tehran says it is closely monitoring Turkish military assault on Syria's northwestern region of Afrin, calling for the swift cessation of the operation in the Arab country.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on Sunday the Islamic Republic hoped the operation in Afrin would end immediately to prevent the escalation of crisis in Turkey-Syria border areas.
"The continuation of the crisis in Afrin may lead to restrengthening of Takfiri-terrorist groups in Syria's northern areas and once again fan the flames of war and destruction in this country," he added.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson further stressed the importance of preserving Syria's territorial integrity, respecting its national sovereignty and preventing any measure, which would intensify humanitarian crisis in the country.
Tehran expects Ankara, as one of the guarantors of ceasefire in Syria, to remain committed to political processes to resolve the Syrian crisis, particularly the Astana peace negotiations, and play a constructive role in settling the crisis, Qassemi stated.
Meanwhile, Chief of the General Staff of Turkey General Hulusi Akar in a phone conversation with Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri on Sunday gave assurances that Ankara respects the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Syria.
Akar, who initiated the phone call, told his Iranian counterpart that Turkey respected Syria’s territorial integrity and remains committed to agreements reached in trilateral talks with Iran and Russia on the situation in the Arab country.
He said the main reason for Turkey’s aerial bombardment, shelling and ground incursion into Afrin, Syria, over the weekend, was to counter the assembly of “terrorist groups” in the area and the threat they pose to Turkey’s border towns and villages.
Major General Baqeri, for his part, stressed the need for Syria’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity to remain intact and said Turkey ought to give assurances that it has no intention of undermining them.
He added that such measures should not set the ground for exploitation by the enemies of Syria and the Muslim world, especially the US and its allies, to advance their expansionist policies in Syria.
Turkey launched the so-called Operation Olive Branch on Saturday in a bid to eliminate the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara views as a terror organization and the Syrian branch of the outlawed Kurdish Workers Party (PKK).
The operation was launched days after Washington said it would work with the Kurdish militants to set up a 30,000-strong border force near Turkish soil.
