Russia calls on Turkey to respect Syria borders

Russia is calling on Turkey to respect Syrian territorial integrity, as Ankara says it is preparing to send a military operation across the border into northeast Syria.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says that Moscow realizes Turkey’s need to ensure its security, but adds that “it’s necessary to respect Syria’s territorial and political integrity.”

Ankara considers the US-allied Syrian Kurdish fighters terrorists linked to a Kurdish insurgency within Turkey.

Peskov would not comment on whether the US withdrawal could push the Kurds to seek a dialogue with Damascus. He reaffirms Moscow’s view that all foreign troops who had not been invited by Syria should leave.

Russia and Iran have helped Syrian President Bashar Assad reclaim control over most of the country following a devastating eight-year civil war.

— AP