Kurds beseiged by Turkish water cannons at border facing Kobani
Iran has warned the government of Turkey against possible military intervention in Syria as ISIL Takfiri terrorists close in on the Syrian town of Kobani near the Arab country’s border with Turkey.
The warning came after the new NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg visited Turkey to negotiate terms to facilitate its greater participation in the US-led “coalition of the guilty.”
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Thursday that Tehran and Turkey are in consultation over the situation in the Kurdish city, noting that the Islamic Republic has warned Turkey against ground operations in Syria.
He added that negotiations over the situation in Syria are going on with Tehran and Ankara trying to find a solution to the crisis in Kobani.
“During our preliminary consultations with Turkey, we have found out that this country does not seek escalation of crisis in the region and we hope it would play a positive role in this regard,” the Iranian deputy foreign minister added.
The Iranian diplomat stated that Iran and Turkey are in dialogue over Syria and Iran believes that Turkey can play an effective role in facilitating the return of displaced Syrians to their homeland.
Explaining about Iran’s solution for the ongoing crisis in Kobani, Amir-Abdollahian said, “Regional talks are underway over this issue and we hope a serious measure is taken in this regard.”
“The Islamic Republic of Iran will take any necessary action to help the Kurds in Kobani in line with its support for the Syrian government in its fight against terrorism,” added Amir-Abdollahian.
Kobani and its surroundings have been under attack since mid-September, with ISIL terrorists capturing dozens of nearby Kurdish villages. The weeks-long intense battle for the strategic town has forced nearly 200,000 people to take refuge in Turkey.
On October 2, Turkish lawmakers passed a controversial motion authorizing the government to carry out military operations against ISIL Takfiri terrorists in Syria and Iraq.
The parliament’s decision came days after the Turkish government stationed some 15 tanks that took position in the border town of Mursitpinar situated northwest of the Syrian border town of Ain al-Arab, known as Kobani to Kurds.
In a telephone conversation with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, on October 2, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif referred to the Turkish parliament’s decision to authorize military operations in Iraq and Syria, expressing concern about any measure that could further complicate the situation in the region.
Meanwhile, a senior Iranian cleric has questioned the sincerity of the new US-led coalition in its fight against ISIL terrorists, saying such an alliance merely seeks to undermine the governments in Iraq and Syria.
Kazem Seddiqi told worshippers at the weekly Friday Prayers in the Iranian capital, Tehran, that the so-called anti-ISIL coalition is not, in fact, working against the Takfiri terrorist group, but only aims to undercut the governments in Baghdad and Damascus.
“The coalition between the United States and some Arab countries [formed] under the guise of countering terrorists…is a blatant and clumsy deception,” said the senior religious figure, adding, “We seriously disavow the alliance.”
Seddiqi further slammed recent calls for a no-fly zone over Syria, saying the so-called anti-ISIL coalition is after weakening the Syrian Air Force.
The Iranian cleric pointed to the atrocities perpetrated at the hands of the ISIL extremists against the Kurdish population in the Syrian border town of Ain al-Arab, also known as Kobani, saying such a terror campaign is aimed at drawing a parallel between Islam and “barbarism.”
The United States and its allies, soon to be joined by Canadian military jets, have been launching airstrikes against the ISIL terrorist group in Syria since September. The US has also been carrying out similar air raids against ISIL positions in Iraq since August.
This comes as the US and its regional allies are being exposed as the leading supporters of the ISIL and other affiliated militant groups in Syria and Iraq.
Iran is warning the international community against the consequences of a selective approach by certain countries in their so-called battle against terrorism.
In an address to the UN General Assembly’s 6th committee, Hossein Gharibi, a member of Iran’s UN mission, called on the global community to take a unified stance towards fighting terrorism.
“State terrorism continues to endanger peace, security and basic human rights of people … state terrorism apparently targets civilian population and deliberately attacks women and children sheltered in recognized protected places to break their determination in order to advance its repressive policies,” he said.
He stressed Iran’s call for a unified and comprehensive approach in countering terrorism as opposed to a selective one.
“We still face a big challenge in countering terrorism; [that is] double standards and selective approaches in dealing with terrorism. Such ill approaches, we warn, would undermine international trust and cooperation in countering terrorism worldwide. We need a united international community in fighting this scourge in an indiscriminate manner,” he added.
Gharibi described Iran as a victim of terrorism, adding that the Islamic Republic is still suffering from terrorist attacks in different forms, including state terrorism.
Iran has cast doubt on the sincerity of the US-led attacks against ISIL targets, saying Washington seeks its own gains in its so-called anti-terror battle.
With files from PRESS TV
