The Syrian government has issued a statement Thursday condemning the agreement between the US and Turkey on a buffer zone in northeastern Syria the day before, saying it amounted to a “blatant attack” on Syria’s sovereignty.



The US reached the deal with Turkey to try to keep Turkey from invading Kurdish territory, and did so by carving out a lot of Kurdish-held Syrian territory into a “buffer zone” which is meant to allow Turkey to send refugees back.



The establishment of a command center for the buffer zone suggests it is being put under direct US and Turkish joint control. That’s a problem for Syria, because it’s Syrian territory, and they’re entirely cut out of the plan.



Syrian officials say they believe the move is aggression, and a threat to Syria restoring “peace and stability” in the area, which they were ultimately likely to do with the Kurds, who will lose at least this part of their territory.





Author: Jason Ditz Jason Ditz is news editor of Antiwar.com. View all posts by Jason Ditz