Hmeymim Opposition Says Turkish Military Operation Violates Syria's Sovereignty

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Turkey's military operation in northern Syria to clear the city of Jarabulus of Daesh fighters is an open aggression against the Syrian sovereignty, Mais Krydee, one of the leaders of the Syrian internal opposition Hmeymim group, said Wednesday.

"Whatever they call this operation, it is an aggression against the sovereignty of Syria, an invasion…. The solution to the Syrian problem is an internal Syrian issue. All the patriotic forces in Syria reject and condemn this intervention," Krydee told reporters.

On August 24, Ankara announced that Turkish forces, backed by US-led coalition aircraft, had begun a military operation dubbed Euphrates Shield in northern Syria against Daesh jihadist group outlawed in Russia. Syrian Kurds and Damascus accused Ankara of violating the territorial integrity of the country.

On Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara will continue its operation in Syria until the threat posed by the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) militants operating in the area is eliminated. Ankara considers PYD an affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is outlawed in Turkey.