The EU Foreign Affairs Council is due to discuss the situation in northeast Syria, which escalated after the United States announced its withdrawal of forces ahead of Turkey's military operation in the area, at its regular meeting in Luxembourg next week, EU Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said on Tuesday
BRUSSELS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th October, 2019) The EU Foreign Affairs Council is due to discuss the situation in northeast Syria, which escalated after the United States announced its withdrawal of forces ahead of Turkey's military operation in the area, at its regular meeting in Luxembourg next week, EU Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said on Tuesday.Earlier on Tuesday, a senior US official said that the US would be withdrawing up to 100 special operators from northern Syria ahead of Turkey's expected military operation against Kurdish forces. The announcement sparked concern in the international community that this would further destabilize the already fragile political situation in the region and lead to a resurgence of terrorist activity.
"The European Union foreign affairs ministers have on their agenda an item on the developing situation in Syria and that will be for their regular meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council next Monday in Luxembourg," Kocijancic said at a daily briefing.
The spokeswoman added that contacts were being made with the US at various levels.
On Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Ankara may launch a military operation in Syria in the coming days to clear the border area of Kurdish fighters. Meanwhile, the White House said late on Sunday that US forces would not support the operation and would withdraw from the area.
While the United States had backed Kurdish forces in Syria as allies in the fight against the Islamic State terrorist group (banned in Russia), Turkey considers them to be an arm of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, which Turkey has classified as a terrorist organization.
