MESOP FOCUS ON KOBANE : Iran warns Turkey over military presence in Syria

10-10-2014 – MESOP – Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Thursday that Tehran and Turkey are in consultation over the situation in the Kurdish city, noting that the Islamic Republic has warned Turkey against ground operations in Syria. According to Press TV he added that negotiations over the situation in Syria are going on with Tehran and Ankara trying to find a solution to the crisis in Kobani.  “During our preliminary consultations with Turkey, we have found out that this country does not seek escalation of crisis in the region and we hope it would play a positive role in this regard,” the Iranian deputy foreign minister added.

The Iranian diplomat stated that Iran and Turkey are in dialogue over Syria and Iran believes that Turkey can play an effective role in facilitating the return of displaced Syrians to their homeland. Explaining about Iran’s solution for the ongoing crisis in Kobani, Amir-Abdollahian said, “Regional talks are underway over this issue and we hope a serious measure is taken in this regard.”

 “The Islamic Republic of Iran will take any necessary action to help the Kurds in Kobani in line with its support for the Syrian government in its fight against terrorism,” added Amir-Abdollahian. Kobani and its surroundings have been under attack since mid-September, with IS militants capturing dozens of nearby Kurdish villages. The weeks-long intense battle for the strategic town has forced nearly 200,000 people to take refuge in Turkey. On October 2, Turkish lawmakers passed a controversial motion authorizing the government to carry out military operations against IS terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In a telephone conversation with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, on October 2, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif referred to the Turkish parliament’s decision to authorize military operations in Iraq and Syria, expressing concern about any measure that could further complicate the situation in the region.