Russia:

Situation in Syria's Afrin Provoked by US Actions

TEHRAN (defapress)- Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov said the situation in Syria's Afrin has been provoked by the actions of the United States among other things and may lead to further destabilization of the region.

News ID: 68548

Date: 08 February 2018 - 14:26

“Ankara assured us that the efforts made by the Turkish troops do not contradict the work that Turkey is conducting and will continue to conduct in the area of political settlement in Syria… At the same time, the developments of the situation in Afrin, provoked by the actions of the United States among other things, can lead to even greater destabilization in this region,” Syromolotov told Sputnik in an interview.

The diplomat noted that Afrin had become another hotbed of tension, adding that Ankara and Washington had opposing interests in the region.

“The interests of the United States and Turkey in the region are increasingly diverging. In fact, the NATO allies have already wound up on opposite sides,” Syromolotov said.

Turkey’s Operation ‘Olive Branch’ kicked off mid-January from air and ground around the area of Afrin in Syria's Aleppo to oust 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).

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has stressed that Turkish offensive in Afrin is part of Ankara's strategy based on supporting terrorists.

The Syrian government has condemned the “brutal Turkish aggression” against the Kurdish-controlled enclave of Afrin, rejecting Ankara’s claim about having informed Damascus of the operation.