Photo taken on Jan. 14, 2019 shows a batch of military vehicles being deployed in Hatay province, Turkey. (Xinhua/Ihlas News Agency)
The Kremlin urged all forces in Syria to avoid actions that could create obstacles to a settlement there.
MOSCOW, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Kremlin said Monday it hopes that a counterterrorism operation planned by Turkey in northern Syria will not hurt the political and territorial integrity of the Middle East country.
"The Kremlin is aware of Turkey's commitment to the territorial and political integrity of Syria both in the search for a Syrian settlement and in all other matters," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"We hope that our Turkish colleagues will in all cases stick to this principle," he added.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters on Monday after a phone conversation with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump late on Sunday that Ankara could launch a military campaign at any moment to clear northern Syria from terrorists.
The White House said in a statement on Sunday that Washington had begun withdrawing U.S. troops from Syria's border with Turkey and the U.S. forces "will not support or be involved in the (Turkish) operation" and "will no longer be in the immediate area."
Peskov said that the Kremlin has urged all forces in Syria to avoid actions that could create obstacles to a settlement there.
He said Moscow admitted that Turkey's actions will be aimed at ensuring its own security, including combating terrorists that might be hiding in Syria.
However, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not discuss the upcoming operation with Erdogan, the spokesman said. ■
