Riyaz Patel
The President of the UN Security Council (UNSC), South African envoy Jerry Matjila, has called on Turkey to “protect civilians” and exercise “maximum restraint” in its military operations in Syria.
Matjila’s appeal came ahead of an emergency UNSC session to discuss Turkey’s military offensive against Kurdish forces in northern Syria.
The closed door meeting, set for Thursday morning, was requested by Belgium, France, Germany, Britain and Poland, diplomats said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier announced the start of a military operation against western-backed Kurdish militia in Syria that Ankara has long regarded as a foe.
Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump pulled US troops out of the area, effectively giving Erdogan a green light to move against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The SDF has been a crucial ally in the US campaign against Islamic State militants in Syria.
