Egypt rejects Turkey's military operation on Syria's border

CAIRO - 21 January 2018: Egypt has expressed rejection of a Turkish military operation in Syria's Kurdish-controlled Afrin region, describing it as a serious threat to Syria's sovereignty.

A statement issued by the Foreign Ministry on Sunday said the operation puts hurdles before efforts aimed at reaching a political solution to the Syrian crisis and measures to combat terrorism.

The Foreign Minister reiterated Egypt's rejection of all military solutions which only increase the sufferings of the Syrian people and called on all the Syrian people to be involved in serious talks with maintaining the sovereignty and unity of their country.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan revealed on Saturday the start of the military operation which followed Turkey's army shelling of shelters and hideouts used by Kurdish fighters from three groups - the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), PYD and YPG, after fighters fired on Turkish positions inside Turkey.

Erdogan had said his country would crush the Syrian Kurdish militia in Afrin, which he views as a security threat to Turkey.

Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli said on Friday that Turkey's operation in the region had started with cross-border shelling.