The Syrian government today condemned the "Turkish invasion" of the city of Afrin in northwestern Syria, demanding the "immediate withdrawal" of troops that Ankara has deployed in Syria, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said, as reported by the state news agency Sana.
"The announcement of the Turkish president that the Turkish invading forces are now in control of Afrin is illegal," the Foreign Ministry said in letters sent to the UN.
"Syria demands that the invading forces withdraw immediately from the occupied Syrian territories."
Mogherini: "The escalation" of the tension in Syria is clear
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini spoke of a "clear escalation" of tensions in Syria during a press conference in Brussels today, shortly after the end of the EU Foreign Ministers' meeting.
The UN special envoy for Syria, Stefan de Mistura, briefed the EU foreign ministers on the "disappointing" situation in Syria and the negotiations in Geneva, said Mogherini. "We clearly see an escalation of the situation," she said, noting that the EU calls on all parties involved to fully implement the UN Security Council resolution. "We call on Russia, Iran and Turkey to work, as they have done, for de-escalation zones," the EU High Representative said. "Instead, we see that everything is going in the opposite direction.
Mogherini stressed that the EU insists on the need to find a "comprehensive political solution for Syria" and added that this message will be sent to the international community at the Brussels Conference on 23 and 24 April, under the auspices of of the EU and the UN. He concluded by saying that the international community and the EU continue to work for a cessation of hostilities and full access to humanitarian aid, where needed, in Syria, and that there is an urgent need to resume talks in Geneva to find a political solution.