Syria calls US-Turkish patrols 'flagrant violation' of country's sovereignty

Syria has condemned on Sunday the joint US-Turkish patrols in border strip in northeast Syria and called them "flagrant violation" of the country's sovereignty, according to an official statement.

The Syrian foreign ministry statement said the move was also a violation of the "territorial integrity" of Syria, referring to what the government considers attempts by the US-backed Kurdish YPG militia to divide the country.

Armed Turkish military vehicles crossed into Syria on Sunday and headed southwest with US counterparts to begin planned joint patrols to establish a "safe zone" along a border region mainly controlled by Kurdish forces. Vehicles with Turkish flags joined those in Syria with US flags some 15 kilometers (nine miles) east of the Turkish border town of Akcakale, near Syria's Tel Abyad.

Later, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced that the first joint land patrol of the Turkish Armed Forces and US personnel for the Safe Zone facility in the north of Syria, east of the Euphrates was carried out as planned.

US European Command also said in a tweet, "US and Turkish military forces conduct a joint ground patrol inside the security mechanism area in the northeast, Syria, September 8, 2019."

Suriye'nin kuzeyinde, Fırat'ın doğusunda Güvenli Bölge tesisi için TSK ve ABD personelinin ilk müşterek kara devriyesi planlandığı şekilde icra edildi. pic.twitter.com/OgrhjAAcB5

— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) September 8, 2019

In August, Ankara and Washington agreed to create a safe zone to the east of the Euphrates River that would serve as a buffer zone between the Turkish border and Syrian areas controlled by US-backed Kurdish YPG forces, which Turkey considers to be terrorists because it says they have links to Kurdish militants in Turkey.

After intensive negotiations, Turkey and the United States have also set up a joint operation center but have so far disagreed over the zone's depth and over the command structure of the forces to operate there.

The Syrian government has opposed the US-Turkish agreement, labeling it as a violation of both Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as a violation of international law.