EU, India, Denmark join condemnation of Turkey’s push in Syria

Denmark, India and the European Union are adding their voices to the international condemnation and concerns over Turkey’s invasion of northeastern Syria in an offensive there against Syrian Kurdish fighters.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen calls it “an extremely serious situation, and there is reason to be concerned about civilians.”

Frederiksen says Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod has summoned Turkey’s ambassador to Denmark “for a conversation in which we will assert our position.” No details were given as to when the Turkish. diplomat would meet Kofod.

India’s foreign ministry issued a press release saying New Delhi is “deeply concerned at the unilateral military offensive by Turkey in northeast Syria,” and urges Ankara to “exercise restraint and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria.”

Meanwhile, the European Union says the Turkish offensive is setting back any hope for progress toward ending the conflict.

EU spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic says the offensive will worsen the stream of refugees from Syria, increase violence against innocent civilians and obstruct the fight against the Islamic State group.

She says: “We believe that new armed hostilities would further undermine the stability of the whole region, would exacerbate civilian suffering, would provoke further displacements, would add another obstacle to the very difficult UN led political process and would, that is also very important, threaten the progress that was achieved by the global coalition to defeat” IS.

She adds that there is “no military solution to the conflict in Syria and the only sustainable solution is a political one.”

— AP