“The developments in Afrin can only be useful if they do not violate Syria’s territorial integrity, and control of these areas should be handed over to the Syrian army,” Rouhani said, according to Iran’s state television.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly said that, after Afrin, Turkey will commence an operation in Tel Rifaat and Manbij.
“Whatever the intentions are, Turkey’s moves in Syria, whether in Afrin, Tel Rifaat or any other part of Syria, should be halted as soon as possible,” an Iranian official told Reuters ahead of Wednesday’s talks.
Damascus has repeatedly condemned Turkey’s military action within Syrian borders and in February sent militias to Afrin to help protect the borders. A number of pro-Assad fighters were killed by Olive Branch forces.
Afrin city came under Turkish control on March 18, two months into Turkey’s Operation Olive Branch. Ankara has framed its offensive as a counter-terrorism operation, taking the position that the Kurdish groups in Rojava, northern Syria, are branches of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The Kurdish groups deny the charge.
Rouhani and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met with Erdogan in Ankara for tripartite talks on Syria this week.
In a trilateral statement published on Wednesday, the three leaders, who are guarantors of the Astana peace process, said the Syrian conflict cannot be ended militarily.
“The presidents expressed their conviction that there could be no military solution to the Syrian conflict and that the conflict could be ended only through a negotiated political process,” the statement reads.
“They rejected all attempts to create new realities on the ground under the pretext of combatting terrorism and expressed their determination to stand against separatist agendas aimed at undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria as well as the national security of neighboring countries,” the statement added.
The Ankara summit comes as Washington considers withdrawing its troops from Syria.
