Publish Date: 15 June 2022 - 12:30

TEHRAN, Jun. 15 (MNA) – Russia views a possible Turkish military operation in Syria as an unwise step that would lead to more escalation, the Russian president’s special envoy, Alexander Lavrentyev, told reporters on Wednesday.

"We believe that it [a Turkish military operation] would be an unwise move that may destabilize the situation, escalate tensions and cause a new round of hostilities in the country," he said, according to TASS.

According to Lavrentyev, during the talks in Nur-Sultan, Russia will call upon its Turkish colleagues to refrain from this move and resolve the existing issues through dialogue.

"We are ready to provide all possible support in this matter," he added.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin said on Wednesday a possible Turkish military operation in Syria would not bring stability.

"We do not believe that this special operation will contribute to the stability and security of the Syrian Arab Republic," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, according to Reuters.

Ankara says it must act in Syria because Washington and Moscow broke promises to push the predominantly Kurdish YPG militia 30 km (18 miles) back the Turkish border after a 2019 Turkish offensive. It says attacks from YPG-controlled areas in Syria have increased.

This comes as a Syrian source said that Turkey has transferred more than 2,500 terrorists to the country's A'zaz region following its operations in northern Syria.

The source stressed that the Syrian army is strengthening its forces in the region, and will counter any attack by Turkey.

Local Syrian sources this week reported that the Syrian army has deployed thousands of troops to the region where the country shares a border with Turkiye and Turkish forces are present.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently announced that Turkey will soon conduct an operation over the border in northeastern Syria against the Kurdish militants to create a 30-km long "safe zone" along the Syrian border.

MP/PR