The US wants to cooperate with Turkey in construction of a security zone in northwestern Syria. He hoped for cooperation with Government in Ankara to take account of ir legitimate security interests, said US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during a trip to Europe according to information of fellow journalists and called Turkey and Kurdish rebels For restraint.

"We are talking to Turks and also some forces on ground to find out how we can stabilize situation and meet Turkey's legitimate security concerns," Tillerson is quoted by reporters. They also report a prompt response from Deputy Prime minister, Bekir Bozdağ, who rejected proposal for cooperation. Instead, US would have to stop its support for Kurdish militia YPG. No one has right to rule Turkey in terms of military deployment in Syria.

In Washington, White House spokesperson, Sarah Sanders, said that Turkey must ensure that military operation is "limited in range and duration", that humanitarian aid is continued and that casualties are avoided. As a result of increase in violence in Afrin, a "normally stable area" was shaken, said spokeswoman of US president Donald Trump. This would affect efforts to assure permanent victory over IS, she said. The humanitarian crisis could also worsen.

"There's no step back from Afrin"

Since last Saturday, Turkish army has been indented with ground troops in north Syrian province of Afrin to expel United States-allied Kurdish militia YPG. The aim of olive branch operation, according to Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım, is to establish a security zone of 30 kilometres wide. Such a buffer zone also wanted to create US in norrn Syria on border with Turkey and Iraq – but toger with YPG, which is an important ally for US Army in fight against extremists of is militia. The Turkish Government, in turn, regards militia as a Syrian branch of banned Workers ' Party of Kurdistan (PKK) and thus as a terrorist organisation.

Despite international criticism, Turkey intends to continue offensive. Before a meeting of UN Security Council, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan referred to Russia's support for military use. "Afrin is completed. There is no step back from Afrin, "he said in Ankara. With help of ally, Turkish army will take control of province as well as Dscharābulus, Al-Rai and Al-Bab. Then Syrians could return re. The Moscow government did not want to speak specifically about military action. According to a government spokesman, one is in contact with Turkey and observes situation very closely.

Federal government vague about possible use of German tanks

On initiative of France, UN Security Council wanted to deal with issue this Monday. "Extremely troubled" was EU external representative Federica Mogherini, who, according to his own information, sought a crisis discussion with Turkey's minister of Europe, Omer Çelik, in coming days. A telephone call was already conducted by federal Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel with his Turkish colleague Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu. According to Foreign Office, SPD minister warned against a military and humanitarian escalation. However, Gabriel avoided open criticism of government in Ankara: one did not have a complete situation and could refore not classify Turkish action under international law, said a spokeswoman.

The federal government also expressed its evasiveness about use of Leopard 2 tanks in norrn Syria. "Apart from images from media that you all know, we have no knowledge of use of leopard tanks," said a defense ministry spokesman, but at same time pointed to previous arms deals between NATO partners: in In 1980s and 1990s, Turkey received 397 leopard-1 tanks, and 354 leopard-2 tanks were transferred to Bosphorus from 2006 to 2011.

Many Kurds in Germany are outraged by Turkish Government and ir actions in Afrin. Kurdish protests have occurred in several cities, including Hamburg, Stuttgart, Heilbronn and Berlin. At Hanover Airport re was a tussle between Kurds and a proturkish group. In some places, Turkish facilities were also spotted. Thus, unknown in Minden in North Rhine-Westphalia and in Leipzig sprayed Turkish mosques with colour. There was also a colour attack in Kassel on night of Sunday. On a wall of mosque concerned word "Efrin" was given according to police. This is anor spelling for Syrian province of Afrin.

Date Of Update: 23 January 2018, 12:02