Syria not to tolerate Turkish violations

Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said on Saturday that his government will not allow Turkey to violate the Syrian sovereignty.

"The international community is responsible for the foolish acts of the Turkish government," Mekdad said in an interview with pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV.

He stressed Syria's readiness to repel any foreign aggression, saying that "any foolish action against Syria will not pass with impunity and we will defend our country and will not allow Turkey, or any other country, to violate our sovereignty."

Mekdad's remarks are the latest official Syrian response to the talks about a possible Turkey's ground military intervention in Syria.

Earlier this month, Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said foreign troops entering Syria will return home in "wooden coffins."

Turkey's possible intervention would stop the advance of the Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, near the Turkish borders, and impose a long-demanded safe zone Turkey wants to create in Syria to deal with the refugee influx and cut off the road in the face of the Kurds who want to connect the controlled areas in northern Syria with each other.

Last Saturday, the Turkish artillery started pounding the positions of the Kurdish People's Protection Units in several areas in Aleppo.

The shelling came just hours after Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that Turkey, "if necessary," will take military actions against the Kurds in Syria. Endit