Russia hopes Turkey will "refrain" from launching an offensive in northern Syria, a diplomatic spokesperson said Thursday, after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan renewed threats of a military campaign targeting Kurdish "terrorists".
"We hope that Ankara will refrain from actions that could lead to a dangerous deterioration of the already difficult situation in Syria," Russia's Foreign Affairs Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.
"Such a move, in the absence of the agreement of the legitimate government of the Syrian Arab Republic, would be a direct violation of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity" and would "cause a further escalation of tensions in Syria", she added.
Erdogan on Wednesday renewed threats of a military offensive in northern Syria.
"We are taking another step in establishing a 30-kilometre security zone along our southern border. We will clean up Tal Rifaat and Manbij", he said, referring to two northern Syrian cities.
