Russia says Turkey’s military action in Syria would be 'unacceptable'

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has lambasted Turkey’s declared plans to launch a new military campaign in northern Syria, stressing that an escalation of military actions in the war-ravaged Arab country would be "unacceptable.”

According to Press TV, Lavrov made the remark at a press conference alongside his visiting Syrian counterpart, Faisal Mekdad, in the Russian capital of Moscow on Tuesday as he censured any foreign interference in Syria’s internal affairs.

Underlining the necessity of finding a political solution to the Syrian crisis, Lavrov said Russia and Syria were looking to negotiate with Turkey to "prevent the outbreak of new military actions" in the Arab country.

“Russia is working for a rapprochement between Syria and Turkey… on the basis of United Nations resolutions that affirm the preservation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria,” the top Russian diplomat said.

“With regard to the situation in northern Syria, the main thing is to prevent the outbreak of new military actions and the need to negotiate through diplomatic channels on the basis of the existing political principles in relations between Syria and Turkey,” he added.

Mekdad, for his part, warned that the Turkish military should withdraw its forces from the Syrian territory, abandon support for terrorist organizations and stop interfering in Syria’s domestic affairs.

The remarks come against the backdrop of Ankara’s stepped-up threats to launch a massive military operation against Kurdish militants in northern Syria to establish what it calls a “secure line” along Turkey’s border with the Arab country.

On August 8, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan once again hinted at a plan for a cross-border operation in Syria to remove members of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) militant group.

Turkey has deployed forces in Syria in violation of the Arab country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

ME