The NATO chief is calling for a political resolution to the conflict in Syria and urges Turkey to focus on the threat posed by the extremist Islamic State group, two weeks since Turkey invaded northeastern Syria in an offensive against Kurdish forces there.
Ankara considers the Syrian Kurdish fighters terrorists aligned with a Kurdish insurgency inside Turkey.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says “the recent developments underscore the urgent need for a political solution” in Syria.
Turkish-backed Syrian opposition fighters ride atop their armored personnel carrier to cross the border into Syria, in Akcakale, Sanliurfa province, southeastern Turkey, October 18, 2019 (AP Photo/Mehmet Guzel)
He says it’s important to ensure the extremists are defeated “and that we understand that the fight against ISIS is not over. They can come back.” ISIS is another acronym for the Islamic State group.
Russia and Turkey agreed on Tuesday to deploy their forces across nearly the entire northeastern Syria border to fill the void left by President Donald Trump’s abrupt withdrawal of US forces.
Stoltenberg says “it is a bit too early to judge the consequences” of that agreement.
NATO defense ministers will discuss Turkey’s invasion of northern Syria during talks in Brussels tomorrow.
— AP
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