Assad says Syria will 'resist Turkey' in case of a military incursion

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President Bashar al-Assad of Syria yesterday (June 9) woved to resist Turkey if it launches a new military incursion into the country's north.

"If there is an invasion, there will be popular resistance in the first stage.... Of course, in the places where the Syrian army is positioned, and it is not deployed to all regions in Syria, and when military conditions allow for confrontation, we will do this thing," he told RT during a live interview.

Mentioning a previous confrontation between the troops of Syria and Turkey, he said, "Two and a half years ago, a confrontation occurred between the Syrian and Turkish army, and the Syrian army was able to destroy some Turkish targets that entered Syrian territory...The situation will be the same according to what the military capabilities allow... In addition, there will be popular resistance."

"Strategic alliance" with Russia

Assad also defended Russia's position, saying, "Russia is facing a war that cannot be linked to the issue of NATO expansion."

Describing Russia as an ally, he remarked, "So, we can view Russia from two perspectives. The first is that of an ally; if our ally triumphs in the battle, or if their political position is strengthened on the international arena, then this is a win for us as well.

"From a second perspective, Russia's power today constitutes a restoration – albeit partial, of an international equilibrium. This rebalance that we are seeking, will impact smaller countries, including Syria. This is my strategic view – the bottom line, without going into other legal aspects."

Since late May, Turkey has expressed its intention to launch a new military offensive into the Kurdish-controlled regions in Syria's north in an attempt to establish what it calls "safe zones" along the border.

While the US has firmly opposed the idea of a new offensive, Russia has given mixed signals. Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson of the country's Foreign Ministry, said last week that such an incursion would be a direct violation of Syria's territorial integrity whereas Minister Lavrov said during his visit to Ankara on Wednesday (June 8) that Russia "understands" Turkey's security concerns.

Since 2016, Turkey has carried out four major military offensives in Syria, with two of them — the 2018 Afrin offensive and the 2019 "Operation Peace Spring" — being in Kurdish-controlled areas. 

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(AEK/TB/VK)