Petříček airs concerns over possible Turkish action against Kurds

The Czech foreign minister, Tomáš Petříček, has expressed concerns over plans to move United States troops in Syria and possible military action by Turkey. President Donald Trump announced on Monday that his country’s army would leave north-eastern Syria, a move that could open the way for Turkey to attack Kurdish fighters across the border.

In a tweet Mr. Petříček said ordinary people would suffer and the situation could only be resolved politically and diplomatically. He said he hoped there would be no attempts to force refugees to move, adding that international law must be respected.

A spokesperson for President Miloš Zeman said he was analysing the situation. However, the head of the Office of the President’s international department, Rudolf Jindrák, said the Kurds could not be thrown under the bus.

Kurdish forces were US allies in defeating Islamic State in Syria. However, Turkey views the Kurdish militias that dominate the US-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as terrorists.

Author: Ian Willoughby