Al-Mikdad: Any Turkish attack on Syrian territories will further destabilize the entire region
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Faisal Al-Mikdad on Wednesday stressed that Syria rejects the Turkish regime’s Turkification policy and interference in the Syrian affairs, reiterating that all the foreign troops present illegally in Syria must leave the country.
He also affirmed that any Turkish attack on the Syrian territories and establishing a so-called “safe zone” will seriously affect the region’s security and stability.
Al-Mikdad made the remarks during a joint news conference on Wednesday in Tehran with his Iranian counterpart Hussein Amir Abdollahian following yesterday’s meeting of the three guarantor states of Astana process on Syria (Russia, Iran and Turkey).
“We are satisfied with the efforts exerted by our friends in Iran with the aim of reaching a balanced communiqué at Astana summit that affirms the guarantor state’s commitment to Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity,” said Al-Mikdad.
The Syrian top diplomat went on to say that the US occupation forces continue to loot the Syrian national resources in cooperation with their tools in the US-backed “Syrian Democratic Forces” (SDF) separatist militia, stressing that this militia should reconsider its stances and return to the state’s umbrella and not depend in its strength on foreign parties.
Al-Mikdad also emphasized that these US-backed groups must not provide any cover for Turkey to justify its invasion of the Syrian territory.
Regarding the coercive measures imposed on Syria, Al-Mikdad said that the sanctions imposed by the West on the countries that oppose its policies violate the international law and the UN Charter.
He called on the international community to effectively participate in the process of reconstructing what terrorism has destroyed in Syria and to facilitate the return of the Syrian refugees to their homeland.
On his part, Abdollahian said that the meeting of the guarantor states of the Astana process on Syria yesterday stressed the need to fight terrorism until it is eliminated, reiterating the need to respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and to solve the crisis in Syria politically.
Abdollahian expressed his country’s concern over the increasing activities of the terrorist organizations in the north of Syria, clarifying that the US occupation forces continue to support these terrorist groups. He pointed out that the US troops’ presence in Syria is illegal and it undermines the country’s security and stability, therefore they should leave immediately.
On bilateral ties, Abdollahian affirmed “Iran’s relations with Syria are strategic and we will continue supporting Syria in all fields.”
Hamda Mustafa