
EU's Mogherini 'extremely worried' by Turkish offensive in Syria
"I'm extremely worried and will discuss this among other things with our Turkish interlocutors," Mogherini said after a regular meeting of EU foreign ministers where the issue was raised, adding that she was concerned about the impact on civilians and on the UN-backed Syrian peace process.
Ankara on Monday intensified its offensive to oust the People's Protection Units (YPG) militia from their enclave of Afrin in northern Syria, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowing there would be no stepping back in the campaign launched on Saturday.
Turkey considers the YPG to be a terror group and the Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which has waged a bloody three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state.
Mogherini said she was worried "for two main reasons".
"One side is the humanitarian one -- we need to make sure that humanitarian access is guaranteed and that civilian population and people are not suffering from military activities on the ground," she said.
The second issue, Mogherini said, was that the offensive "can undermine seriously the resumption of talks in Geneva, which is what we believe could really bring sustainable peace and security for Syria".
Mogherini said she hoped to set up a meeting with Turkey's European affairs minister Omer Celik when he visits Brussels "in the coming days".
France has called for a UN Security Council meeting Monday to discuss concerns over flashpoint areas in Syria including the Turkish offensive.

Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Most popular stories
Market Research

- Manuka Honey Market Report 2024, Industry Growth, Size, Share, Top Compan...
- Modular Kitchen Market 2024, Industry Growth, Share, Size, Key Players An...
- Acrylamide Production Cost Analysis Report: A Comprehensive Assessment Of...
- Fish Sauce Market 2024, Industry Trends, Growth, Demand And Analysis Repo...
- Australia Foreign Exchange Market Size, Growth, Industry Demand And Forec...
- Cold Pressed Oil Market Trends 2024, Leading Companies Share, Size And Fo...
- Pasta Sauce Market 2024, Industry Growth, Share, Size, Key Players Analys...
Comments
No comment