Russian official: Turkey’s military operation without the approval of the “legitimate” government is a flagrant violation of sovereignty
The representative of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Syria, Ambassador Alexander Yefimov, considered that Turkey’s start of its possible military operation in northern Syria, without Assad regime’s approval, is a “violation” of the sovereignty of the Syrian territories.
Yefimov said during an interview with the loyalist newspaper Al-Watan that he hoped Turkey would change its decision and added that the military operation would deteriorate the situation in the country.
Yefimov said about the latest Israeli attack on Damascus International Airport: “it is considered a great danger to international air traffic, as it threatens people’s lives.”
The Russian official called on Israel to stop these dangerous attacks against Syrian territories.
Yefimov stressed that the Russian forces, their number and the nature of their deployment in Syria are determined by the nature of the tasks and the military and political situation there, and are not linked to any other files.
Yefimov claimed that there is no competition between his country and the Iranian side in Syria and alleged that the presence of the forces of both countries comes within the framework of international laws and regulations and at the request of the “legitimate” government in Damascus.
The Russian official’s statement comes at a time there is a lot of talk about the expected Turkish military operation against the Syrian Democratic Forces in northern Syria, and Russia’s withdrawal part of its forces due to the war in Ukraine. The Russian official confirmed his country’s position rejecting any operation that may lead to a dangerous slide in the situation in Syria.
