Syria slams US-Turkish safe zone deal as 'blatant aggression' against its sovereignty

Damascus has rejected as “blatant aggression” a recent deal between the US and Turkey on the creation of a so-called safe zone in the northern part of Syria, where Washington-sponsored Kurdish militants have been active to Ankara’s dismay.

After three days of intense negotiations, American and Turkish officials agreed on Wednesday to quickly set up a Turkey-based operations center “to coordinate and manage the implementation of the safe zone” in northeastern Syria.

The area is currently under the control of the US-backed Kurdish militants, who are considered terrorists by Ankara. Turkey has, since 2016, launched two military operations inside Syria against the Kurds and has threatened a third if they fail to leave east of the Euphrates.

A source at Syria’s Foreign Ministry told the official SANA news agency on Thursday that the US-Turkey agreement amounted to “blatant aggression” against the country’s territorial integrity and was a “flagrant violation” of the international law and the UN Charter.

“This agreement has very clearly exposed the US-Turkish partnership in the aggression against Syria, which serves the interest of the Israeli occupation entity and the Turkish expansionist ambitions,” the source said.

He also urged the Kurdish militants to reconsider their position and stand by the Syrians in defending their country.

The Syrian people and army, who have made sacrifices in defending their country against terrorist groups and their sponsors, are now more determined to preserve the safety of their homeland, he added.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry source further called on the Arab people to be aware of the dangers posed by Turkey’s “expansionist ambitions” across the Arab world.

“Syria calls on the international community and the UN to condemn the US-Turkish flagrant aggression which constitutes a dangerous escalation and poses a threat to peace and security in the region and the world and hinders all positive efforts for finding a solution to the crisis in Syria,” he said.

Damascus has repeatedly called on the US and Turkey to end their illegal military presence and activities on Syrian soil.