ANKARA – Turkey warned on Thursday that it might launch a fresh military attack against suspected Kurdish militants in Syria without seeking authorization from anybody.
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu’s remarks come two days after a session in Tehran at which Russia and Iran both recommended against Turkey’s proposed fresh assault in northern Syria.
“We discussed concepts, but we never asked for or sought approval for our military activities,” Cavusoglu said in a television interview.
“In the war against terrorism, we will not seek permission from anyone.” “It can happen all of a sudden one night,” he remarked, alluding to the start of a fresh military push.
The remarks match President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s months-long threats that Turkey would soon launch a fresh ground battle in Syria.
This would be the fifth offensive since 2016.
The majority of previous assaults have targeted Kurdish terrorists whom Ankara associates with a group that has waged a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state.
Russia and Iran both have troops or militias in the areas named as potential targets of Turkey’s upcoming operation.
During Syria’s crisis, Tehran and Moscow backed the Syrian government, while Ankara backed the rebels.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, had previously warned Erdogan that a further Turkish offensive would be “detrimental” to the area.
Following the talks, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow and Ankara still disagreed on Syria.
Washington has also advised NATO member Turkey to be cautious.
Kurdish militias played a critical part in the US-led campaign in Syria against Daesh.
Source: Arab News
