Syria says it does not want to fight with Turkey
Turkey and Russia co-sponsored a deal to de-escalate the unrest in the area
Turkey supports Syrian rebels who remain in Idlib
Syria does not want to see fighting with Turkey, its foreign minister said on Tuesday, after Turkey said one of its posts in Syria’s Idlib region was attacked from an area controlled by Syrian government forces.
Russia, which supports Syrian President Bashar Assad in his country’s civil war, and Turkey, long a backer of rebels, co-sponsored a de-escalation pact for the area that has been in place since last year.
But the deal has faltered in recent months, forcing hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee. Idlib is the last remaining bastion of anti-government rebels after eight years of civil war.
“We hope that our military and the Turkish military do not fight. This is our principled stance,” Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al-Moualem told reporters in Beijing, standing alongside the Chinese government’s top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi.
“What we are fighting is terrorists, especially in Idlib, which is Syrian territory, part of our country,” Moualem said in Arabic comments translated into Chinese.
The dominant force in the Idlib region is Tahrir Al-Sham, the latest incarnation of the former Nusra Front that was part of Al-Qaeda until 2016. Others, including some with Turkish backing, also have a presence.
“The question now is, what does Turkey want to do in Syria? Turkey is occupying part of Syrian soil, and has a military presence in certain parts of Syria,” Moualem added.
“Are they protecting the Nusra Front? Are they protecting certain terrorist forces including the East Turkestan Islamic Movement?” he said, referring to an extremist group China blames for attacks in far western Xinjiang with operations elsewhere.
“This question needs to be asked of Turkey, what are their actual aims? We are fighting those terrorist groups and organizations. The whole world believes those people we are fighting are terrorists.”
Since April, Syrian government forces have stepped up shelling and bombing of the area, killing scores of people.
The rebels say the government action is part of a campaign for an assault that would breach the de-escalation pact.
The government and its Russian allies say the action is in response to rebel violations, including the presence of fighters in a demilitarised zone.
- Previous Pakistan:Taliban wrap up talks with Chinese officials
- Next Kashmir bleeds again: 15 killed as Valley sees spurt in militant attacks
You may also like...
Recent Posts
- Brits and Chinesse are at tit-for-tat fight over embassy $1bn mammoth construction in London (and Beijing)
- The State and The Fate of America’s Indo-Pacific Alliances
- China Halted Centuries-old Sino-Nepal Borderland Marriages
- New Karakorum -old Gengiz-Khan’s capital – will be a venue for new Mongolian capital
- Uzbekistan and China discuss peaceful nuclear energy cooperation
- After China and North Korea,now Russian Navy Hold First Joint Drills in Java Sea with Indonesia
- Preparing for North: US OKs Potential $4.9 Billion Sale of AWACS Aircraft to S. Korea
- Kemi Badenoch – a new boss for Brits’ Conservatives
- 50 Photos: Unseen most deadliest Spain’s floods wreck devastation of biblical proportions
- Yet another volcano erupts in eastern Indonesia
Random news
Views
- North Korea’s New Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile, the Hwasong-12: First Takeaways - 961 views
- Chinese military base in Djibouti necessary to protect key trade routes linking Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe - 952 views
- OIC, 57-nation Islamic body calls US travel ban a ‘grave concern’ - 694 views
- Goods from China start to be shipped by train to Europe: Luxembourg-Chengdu freight train route launched - 651 views
- What is wrong with JATECO Company’s business with Central Asian states!? Why Japanese standards of corporate governance and integrity in doing business are earning bad name with JATECO? - 601 views
- Kyrgyzstan actively working on start of construction of China—Kyrgyzstan—Uzbekistan railroad - 550 views
- Iran tested medium-range ballistic missile - 544 views
- China: Philippines can’t claim Benham Rise - 520 views
- Why Indians want to have white skin?! Pakistani authors thoughts. Article: The complexion of a new culture - 511 views
- Gabbard allies rush to her defense after Assad meeting - 501 views
About us
Our Newly established Center for study of Asian Affairs has
branches in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, as well as freelances in some other countries.
For inquires, please contact: newsofasia.info@yahoo.com Mr.Mohd Zarif - Secretary of the Center and administer of the web-site www.newsofasia.net