Tasnim � Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned Turkey against any military move in Syria and said regional nations� security can be preserved only through respecting other countries� territorial integrity.
Addressing an open session of the parliament in Tehran on Sunday, Zarif pointed to the recent tensions between Syrian Kurds and the Turkish government and said, �Regarding the Syrian Kurds, the position of the Islamic Republic is completely clear.�
�We have stated that the only way to maintain security in Turkey is to establish the (Syrian) central government�s military presence in the border areas, and under the Adana Agreement this can be done,� he said.
�Security (in Turkey) cannot be created through (military) action against Syria�s territorial integrity and sovereignty,� the Iranian top diplomat went on to say.
�The Islamic Republic certainly believes that regional security is possible through observing two principles: first, respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity and security of all regional countries, and second, respect for the rights of all its inhabitants, including our Kurdish brothers and sisters�,� Zarif stated.
The remarks came after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in his strongest warning yet, threatened on Saturday to launch a military operation into northeastern Syria, where US troops are deployed and have been trying to defuse tensions between Washington�s two allies - Turkey and the Syrian Kurds.
Erdogan�s threats were a warning that a US-Turkish deal to secure Syria�s troubled border with Turkey was faltering. He said a Turkish military operation against the US-backed Kurdish forces could begin �maybe today, maybe tomorrow�.
The Turkish military has been dispatching units and defense equipment to southeastern Sanliurfa province in the past month. Erdogan had expressed frustration, threatening a unilateral operation, but this was his most specific threat amid concerns from the Syrian Kurds of a limited military operation, according to a report by the Telegraph.
�We have given all kinds of warning regarding the (area) east of the Euphrates to the relevant parties. We have acted with enough patience,� Erdogan said.
The Turkish leader has repeatedly expressed frustration with Washington�s support for Kurdish groups in Syria. His threats continued despite a deal reached with Washington in August to carry out joint patrols and move Syrian Kurdish fighters away from the border.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said it is committed to the agreement between Turkey and the US to preserve stability in the region.
�However, we will not hesitate to turn any unprovoked attack by Turkey into an all-out war on the entire border to DEFEND ourselves and our people,� SDF spokesman Mustafa Bali tweeted Saturday.