Foreign Ministry: Syria categorically rejects setting up buffer zone on its lands

Damascus, SANA-Foreign and Expatriates Ministry addressed two identical letters to the UN Secretary-General and Head of the UN Security Council on the Turkish government’s hostile policies against Syria.

In its two letters of which SANA received a copy on Thursday, the ministry said Syria has repeatedly warned of the threat posed by terrorists who have been targeting Syria’s people and economic, social and cultural achievements for over four years.

Moreover, Syria has cautioned against the perils of foreign intervention in its domestic affairs by countries which provide overt support to terrorists who have the blood of the Syrian people on their hands under numerous justifications, the letters stated.

“These countries, particulatly the Turkish government, have used terrorists to attain cheap political ends as admitted by senior officials in many states,” the ministry pointed out.

The letters blamed the protracted crisis in Syria, which has wreaked colossal damage on Syria’s civilization and accomplishments and prompted large portion of the population to flee their towns and villages, on Turkey’s and other countries’ support to terrorists.

“Since the outbreak of the crisis, the Turkish government has stopped at nothing in its attempts to undermine stability in Syria and endanger its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the letters lamented, in what it described as “flagrantly at variance with the principle of good neighborliness.”

Turkey has been providing political, military and logistical support to terrorist organizations and facilitating the entry of terrorists coming from over 83 countries, said the ministry, making Turkey a basic springboard for terrorism hitting Syria and Iraq and jeopardizing the entire region.

The ministry cited the developments in Ayn al-Arab town in northern Syria as a “proof of the close relations between Turkey and ISIS”.

Rebuffing Turkish attempts for setting up a buffer zone in Syria, the ministry chided them as a blatant violation of the UN Charter and international law that call for respecting national sovereignty of states and non-interference in their domestic affairs.

Turkey’s conduct, moreover, is a breach of the UN counter-terrorism resolutions, added the letters, making it necessary that the international community take action against the Turkish government’s violations.

The letters asserted that the Syrian people, who are confronting acts of killing and destruction, have the exclusive right to determine their future.

“That said,” the letters added, “the Syrian government categorically rejects setting up any buffer or “safe” zones, or no-fly zone on any part of the Syrian land under any pretext.”

Added to that, Syria rejects any hostile intervention by any foreign forces on its lands, the letters said, vowing that Syria will take “all necessary measures to preserve its national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.”

Concluding the letters, the ministry demanded that the danger posed by Turkish government’s policies be given the special attention it deserves, calling for taking measures to prevent the Turkish government from impinging on the UN role and breaching the sovereignty of a UN member state.

Manal Ismael

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