Saturday, January 20th., 2018
US Arms Supplies to Loyal Groups in Syria Led to Turkish Op - Russian MoD
The
Russian Army Command in Syria is undertaking security measures for
personnel present in Afrin, after the launch of the Turkish military
operation against Kurdish forces.
The
Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the Pentagon's arms supplies
to US-backed groups in Syria triggered Turkey's military operation
in Afrin and undermined the peace process.
"The main reasons that have contributed to the
development of a critical situation in this part of Syria were the
provocative US steps aimed at the separation of regions with a
predominantly Kurdish population," the statement said.
The Ministry added that the US has
undermined the process of political settlement of the Syrian crisis and
impeded the Geneva peace talks.
"Uncontrolled
deliveries of modern weapons, including reportedly the deliveries of the
man-portable air defense systems, by the Pentagon to the pro-US forces
in northern Syria, have contributed to the rapid escalation of tensions
in the region and resulted in the launch of a special operation by the
Turkish troops."
In a statement, the Russian Ministry
of Defense said that Russia was withdrawing its troops from Syria's
Afrin, target of the Turkish offensive.
"The command
of the Russian group of troops in Syria has taken measures to ensure the
security of Russian servicemen located in the district of Afrin, where
the Turkish Armed Forces launched a special operation against the
Kurdish armed groups," the statement read.
The Russian Foreign Ministry stated
on Saturday that Moscow was closely following the situation in Syria's
Afrin and was concerned by the news about the Turkish military
engagement in the city.
"According to the
incoming reports, on January 20, Turkey started using the units of its
armed forces near Afrin in northwestern Syria. The Turkish General Staff
has announced that the Turkish military shelled positions of the Syrian
Kurds in response to provocative shelling by militants of the Syrian
Kurdish Democratic Union Party. Moscow has received this information
with concern. We are closely monitoring the development of the
situation," the statement said.
Moscow has been calling on the warring
parties to exercise restraint. The Ministry added that the Russian
position was based on the need to safeguard Syria's territorial
integrity, respect for its sovereignty and the political settlement
within the framework of the UN Security Council resolution, as well
as the accords reached under the Astana process.
On January 20, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed the beginning of the operation in Afrin.
"The Afrin
operation has de-facto been started on the ground," Erdogan said in a
televised speech, adding that "this will be followed by Manbij,"
referring to another Kurdish-controlled Syrian town.
Turkey has been threatening to launch an
operation in Afrin since last week after the US announced it was going
to start training a border security force composed of the Syrian
Democratic Forces (SDF), affiliated with the Kurdish People's Protection
Units (YPG), regarded as a terrorist group by Turkey.