US Secretary of Defense urges Turkey not to launch new operation in Syria

The Pentagon announced on Thursday that the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin informed his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar that Washington “strongly opposes” Ankara launching a military operation against the Kurds northern Syria.

 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had announced last week his intention to launch a land attack against the Kurds northern Syria “when the time comes.”

 

This as the US Department of Defense said in a statement that Austin called on in a phone call with Akar to decrease the level of escalation, informing him that the Pentagon strongly opposes a new Turkish operation in Syria.