BALADI NEWS
The Foreign Minister of the Syrian regime Walid al-Moualem on Saturday demanded an immediate withdrawal of all U.S. and Turkish troops from his country and warned that Syrian regime forces had the right to take countermeasures if they refused.
“Any foreign forces operating in our territories without our authorization are occupying forces and must withdraw immediately,” al-Moualem said during an address to the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations in New York.
The United States has around 1,000 troops in Syria tackling Islamic State militants. Turkey has also launched military incursions into northern Syria, targeting Islamic State and Kurdish YPG fighters.
“If they refuse, we have the right to take any and all countermeasures authorized under international law,” he said.
U.S. President Donald Trump last year ordered the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria - only to later be convinced to leave some forces behind to ensure that Islamic State militants cannot stage a comeback.
“The United States and Turkey maintain an illegal military presence in northern Syria,” al-Moualem said, describing U.S. and Turkish efforts to create a “safe zone” inside Syria as a violation of the U.N. Charter.
The United States and Turkey have started joint land and air patrols along part of Syria’s border with Turkey, but Ankara remains angry with Washington’s support for the YPG, which has been a key U.S. ally in fighting Islamic State in Syria.
Source: Reuters.