Turkey Condemns US Plans to Create 'Border Security Force' in Syria

21:28 GMT, 14 January 2018

CC0 / Pixabay /

ANKARA (Sputnik) - Turkey condemns the plans of the United States to create the so-called Border Security Force (BSF) on the Syrian territory controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces militia, given the absence of consultations with Ankara, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Monday in a statement obtained by Sputnik.

Sputnik

On Saturday, the Defense Post news website published an article, in which the spokesman of the US-led coalition fighting against Daesh (Islamic State) terrorist group, said that the coalition was engaged in training of a 30,000-strong force on the territory within Syria currently controlled by SDF to maintain security in controlled area along the Syrian border.

"The coalition did not hold consultations with Turkey about the creation of [these] forces, and it is unknown what coalition members made this decision. Unilateral steps, which are presented as actions of the coalition, is a seriously wrong action that will be detrimental to the fight against IS," the statement reads.

Russian Journalists Blow Lid Off Alleged US Terrorist Training Network in Syria

14 January 2018, 15:01 GMT

"Continued US cooperation with the YPG [US-backed Kurdish People's Protection Units], which is contrary to its [the US’s] own obligations, jeopardize our national security and territorial integrity of Syria, and that is unacceptable. We condemn the persistence of the United States in this erroneous approach, and once again remind that Turkey is determined to eliminate any threats against it, and has all possibilities to do this," the Turkish Foreign Ministry stressed.

"Fighting IS with the use of another terrorist organization YPG is fundamentally wrong and carries great risks," the statement adds.

On Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Turkish Armed Forces might launch an operation in YPG-controlled areas of Manbij and Afrin in northern Syria. Over the recent weeks, Turkey has repeatedly shelled the areas and even sent military equipment including tanks to the border with Syria.