Alwaght- Syria warned on Thursday that it will confront any Turkish aggression or military action against its territory with appropriate response.
“We warn the Turkish leadership that in the event of initiating hostilities in the area of Afrin, this will be considered an act of aggression by the Turkish army on the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic’s territories in accordance with the international law known to the Turkish side,” Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Meqdad told reporters in Damascus on Thursday.
He pointed out that the Turkish leadership’s recent remarks raise “our deep concern and the process of beating the drums of war by the Turkish leadership provokes resentment and the total rejection of the Syrian people.”
The comments came after Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu stated that the recent statements from the US regarding plans to create a 30,000-strong “terror army” on Syria’s northern borders with Turkey were not satisfactory for the Ankara government.
Cavusoglu said on Thursday that Turkey would intervene in Afrin and Manbij to counter the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militants, and that its mistrust of Washington continues.
The Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister added that, “We note that the Syrian Air Defense has regained its full strength and is ready to destroy the Turkish air targets in the skies of the Syrian Arab Republic. This means that in the event of Turkish airstrikes on Syria, the Turkish side should realize that it is not going in a picnic.”
“I confirm and hope that the Turkish side will listen well and I also hope that this message will be clear to all whom this may concern that Afrin in particular and the northern and northeastern region of the Syrian Arab Republic has always been a Syrian Arab territory as it will always be,” Mikdad noted.
