Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs;
Luxembourg's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, has called on Turkey to cease its unilateral military action in northeastern Syria.
The Foreign Minister's statement expresses Luxembourg's condemnation of Turkey's latest offensive in northern Syria, which has been ongoing since Wednesday and followed the withdrawal of US troops from the area. Minister Asselborn reiterated that there can be no lasting solution to the Syrian conflict by military means.
Like its partners in the European Union, Luxembourg has called on Turkey to cease its unilateral military action. According to Minister Asselborn, the resumption of armed hostilities in the north-east of Syria further undermines the stability of the entire region, worsens the suffering of civilians and causes further displacement. The chances of the United Nations-led political process leading to peace in Syria will thus be compromised.
In addition, Jean Asselborn has argued that Turkey's unilateral action threatens the progress made by the international coalition against Daesh, of which Turkey is a member. He added that military action jeopardises the security of the coalition's local partners, particularly Kurdish fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces, and it is likely to create prolonged instability in northeastern Syria by providing fertile ground for the resurgence of Daesh, which remains a serious threat to regional, international and European security. Luxembourg's Foreign Minister has thus emphasised the importance of keeping terrorist fighters in secure places to prevent them from joining the ranks of terrorist groups.
Minister Asselborn went on to maintain the unlikeliness of a "security zone" in northeastern Syria, as envisaged by Turkey, meeting UNHCR's international criteria for the return of refugees. Luxembourg has thus maintained its position that the return of refugees and internally displaced persons to their places of origin must be carried out safely and in a voluntary and dignified manner. Any attempt to make a demographic change would be unacceptable.
Jean Asselborn continued: "We share the goal of ending violence, defeating terrorism and promoting stability in Syria and the region as a whole. Turkey is a key partner of the European Union and an extremely important player in the Syrian crisis and in the region, and we congratulate Turkey for its important role as a host country for Syrian refugees. Turkey's security concerns must be addressed by political and diplomatic means, not by military action, in accordance with international humanitarian law". In this context, Luxembourg has urged all parties to ensure the protection of civilians as well as humanitarian access throughout Syria.
Minister Asselborn concluded: "We remain committed to the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian State, which can only be achieved through a genuine political transition, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254 of the United Nations and the 2012 Geneva Communiqué, negotiated by the Syrian parties as part of the United Nations-brokered Geneva process".
