The Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the recent developments in Syria and declared that the presence of US troops in Syria was illegitimate and its decision to withdraw troops from Syria should have taken place much earlier.
Expressing hope for the establishment of peace and stability in Syria and the region, the Foreign Ministry noted that it closely follows the latest news of the possible entry of Turkish troops into Syrian territory and believes that if this occurs, it will result in widespread human and material damage and hence Iran is opposed to any possible military action.
The statement added that Iran is ready to make immediate contacts with Turkish and Syrian officials to solve the differences in a peaceful manner, also saying that paying respect to Syria’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty and the Adana agreement act as foundations of negotiations.
Foreign ministers of Iran and Turkey have already talked about the situation in Syria in a telephone conversation on Monday night.
Zarif voiced opposition to military action, urging respect for Syria’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty.
He stressed the need for the fight against terrorism and for the establishment of stability and security in Syria and described the Adana agreement as the best approach for Syria and Turkey and for addressing their concerns.
For his part, Cavusoglu emphasized the need to respect Syria’s territorial integrity, saying Turkey’s operation in that region would be temporary.
Reports indicate that Turkey has just started shelling the positions of the People's Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria. The Turkish operation started after the US in a major shift in its policy gave the green light to Turkey to launch a military operation against Washington's long-time Kurdish allies in northern Syria.
MNA/FNA13980716000393