By Sibel Ugurlu and Cansu Dikme
ANKARA (AA) – Russia’s foreign minister on Monday slammed the U.S. plan to form an army led by the terrorist PKK/PYD, warning that it could jeopardize Syria's territorial integrity.
Speaking at his annual news conference in Moscow, Sergey Lavrov pointed to possible problems that the U.S. plan could cause for Turkey’s ties with Kurds.
“The U.S.’ unilateral, ultimatum-like project, aimed at establishing an army in Syria, may create problems in relations between Turkey and Kurds,” Lavrov said.
Lavrov also said the U.S. move “can’t serve to calm the situation” in Syria’s Afrin district, which borders Turkey, adding that Russia expects Washington to explain its move.
On Sunday, the U.S.-led international coalition against Daesh announced that it would establish a 30,000-strong new border security force with the SDF — the U.S.-backed group, largely controlled and manned by the PKK/PYD terrorist organization in Syria.
“The coalition is working jointly with the SDF to establish and train the new Syrian Border Security Force (BSF), ” Ryan Dillon, spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition, officially known as the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), said in a written statement to Anadolu Agency.
“Currently, there are approximately 230 individuals training in the BSF's inaugural class, with the goal of a final force size of approximately 30,000, ” he added.
Turkey condemned the move, saying it was “wrong and objectionable ” to cooperate with the PKK/PYD terrorist organization on the ground in Syria in order to fight Daesh and stabilize the areas liberated from it.
“Moreover, Turkey, which is a member of the coalition, was not consulted on the establishment of the so-called 'Syria Border Protection Force', ” said a Foreign Ministry statement.
