Syria may be forced to resort to military option to protect its land if Turkey continues its aggression in northern Syria, Syrian Ambassador to Russia Riyad Haddad said.
Syria has been fighting against terrorism for more than six years now and "will continue to fight till the end, and Turkey is one of the countries that support terrorism," the ambassador told in an interview with Sputnik.
"Syria has the right to respond to any aggression against it. But our government believes the first step should be to inform the international community, international organizations, including the United Nations, and our allies, first of all Russia, in order to find a solution to the issue. But if we cannot find a solution, then certainly the Syrian government will defend its land by all means," Haddad said.
The ambassador also added that Damascus has called on the international community to put pressure on Turkey so that Ankara will stop its operations in northern Syria.
According to Haddad, Syria has raised this issue with the UN Security Council (UNSC) and discussed it with the representatives of the Russian center for Syrian reconciliation.
"Of course, we raised this issue, first and foremost, our government raised this issue at the UNSC. Our friends at the reconciliation center are aware of this and are solving this issue together with our government. The Syrian government calls on the international community to put pressure on Turkey so that it will stop its actions," Haddad said.
Turkey annexed Syrian territory
The Syrian diplomat also told Sputnik Turkey violating Syria's sovereignty and UN Security Council resolutions by seizing the Arab country's territory.
Turkey's actions in the Syrian province of Idlib, the seizing of Syrian territory, and building of camps to train militants in the area, is a violation of Syria's sovereignty and UN Security Council resolutions, Syrian Ambassador to Russia added.
"Turkey has also begun the process of seizing new lands by occupying the areas of Kyubat and Atme in the province of Idlib. In this area, Turkish troops have built two camps for the training of militants who have entered into two new terrorist groups. This is not only an outrageous aggression against the sovereignty of the country, but against the people of Syria," Haddad said.
He specified that in the city of Kessab, in the Latakia province, Turkish troops had entered several villages and cut down 300 pine and oak trees in an area of 15 square kilometers (over 5.5 square miles), destroyed hundreds of olive trees.
"Turkish troops also entered the Dikmadash area in the north of the city of Afrin and occupied higher ground near this city where heavy equipment and armored vehicles are already located. This district belongs to the Jisr al-Shughur district, which in turn is part of the Idlib province. Turkish forces have begun preparing for the construction of a wall that would separate the lands they had seized and our territory," Haddad said.
According to him, Turkey's statements about the end of the Euphrates Shield operation are in direct contradiction to what is happening on the ground.
"In practice, the Turkish side has not withdrawn its troops, which are currently in the north of the city of El-Bab, and are trying, with the help of factions that are allies of Turkey, to build a city there. I mean those terrorist groups which are located in the area and, thus, they violate the territorial sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic," the ambassador said.
"When we hear Turkey's claims that it is stopping its actions in Syria it is actually just one element of the information war. Furthermore, it is a blatant violation of the UN Charter, international law and all UN Security Council resolutions on Syria and on combating terrorism. In addition to all this, it is a violation of the values and principles that have developed in international relations between neighboring states," he stressed.
Moreover, Turkey has unilaterally moved the state border with Syria deeper into the Syrian territories near the Afrin River, thus in fact capturing Syrian lands and violating Syrian sovereignty, Syrian Ambassador to Russia Riyad Haddad told Sputnik.
"Turkey used the drying up of the Afrin River to the southwest of the town of Jenderis and moved the barbed wire that marks the border deeper into our territory, as if it were Turkish land already. Therefore, Syrian soil is being captured," Haddad said, adding that Damascus considers these actions a violation of Syrian sovereignty.
Turkish forces and members of the Free Syrian Army are seen at the al Baza'a village on the outskirts of al-Bab town in Syria
In August 2016, Ankara launched the Euphrates Shield operation, aiming to clear almost 2,000 square miles of Syrian territory near the Turkish border from militants of Daesh and other terrorist groups. The Turkish forces managed to take control of the Jarabulus and al Bab cities in northern Syria.
On March 30, the Turkish National Security Council announced successful completion of Operation Euphrates Shield, with Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim stating that if Turkey is "threatened," a new operation could be launched.
Russi's RIA Novosti also cited Haddad as saying that that Turkey has unilaterally moved a border fence deeper into Syrian territory in an apparent "land grab" violating Syria's sovereignty.
Riad Haddad said Turkey "has moved the barbed-wire [border fence] deeper into our territory, exploiting the drying up of Afrin River southeast of the town of Jandaris, as if it is now Turkish lands."
"This is how land grab is being done on Syrian soil," the ambassador stated, stressing "we consider such actions a violation of our country's sovereignty."
Haddad also said the Turkish army has occupied Idlib governorate's Qirbat and Atma districts, while sending heavy armor to seize territory near the town of Afrin. According to Syria's ambassador, the Turks have begun preparations to build a wall that would split the captured lands off from Syrian territory.
Turkish troops, tanks, and combat aircraft first crossed into Syria on August 24, 2016. According to the Turkish government, the offensive dubbed Operation Euphrates Shield was launched to first suppress a Kurdish insurgency and move it away from the Turkish border, and then fight IS militants in northern Syria.
In late March, the Turkish National Security Council announced that Ankara had successfully completed Operation Euphrates Shield in northern Syria, during which the cities of Jarabulus and al-Bab had been liberated from the ISIS terrorist group. However, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that a new operation was possible if Turkey's security was threatened
LINK: https://www.ansarpress.com/english/5939
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