Germany warns Turkey invasion could destabilize Syria

Germany has expressed concerns at the prospect of an incursion by Turkey into northeastern Syria, saying such an intervention could further destabilize the war-torn country.

Ulrike Demmer, a spokeswoman for Chancellor Angela Merkel, says Germany is aware of the “special security policy situation” that Turkey faces on its border. But she cautions that successes against the Islamic State group, which she notes were achieved in significant part by Syrian Kurdish forces with international support, “must not be endangered.”

US-backed Kurdish-led forces said American troops began pulling back on Monday from positions in northeastern Syria ahead of the expected Turkish incursion.

Demmer says that a unilateral military intervention “would lead to a further escalation in Syria and contribute to a continued destabilization of the country.” She says it would also have negative security policy and humanitarian consequences.

— AP