China asks Turkey to cease hostilities and return to diplomacy

China's foreign minister, Geng Shuang, called out Turkey to cease hostilities and return to the right path of political settlement during a press briefing on October 15. Turkey launched its military operation on October 9 in northeastern Syria against the “terrorists” called the Operation Spring of Peace. However, China believes that Turkey should stop its forces and rather return to diplomacy to resolve the issues which are currently clouding the nation. Beijing further opposes the “use of force in international relations” and full observation of principles and objectives stated by the United Nations Charter.

International relations

China also believes that they seek political and diplomatic settlement of the issue as per the norms of international relations and the framework of international law. This is a few days after the United States retracted its troops from the area of military operations. The US President, Donald Trump believes that it was time for the American soldiers to come home and guard the borders of their own country instead of staying in the middle-east to guard the borders between Syria and Turkey. 

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Now China also claims to oppose the military operation conducted by Turkey in order to create a 'safe zone' along the border and be free of Kurdish militias which are also considered by Turkey as an extension of the Kurdistan Worker's Party. This party is reportedly banned by Ankara. Furthermore, the recent situation in Syria combined with abandoning by the US has raised concerns about the worsening of the humanitarian conditions in the region. The constant questioning has also led the President of Turkey to threaten the European countries to send the refugees their way.

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Erdogan threatens the Europeans

After the European countries questioned their military operations in Syria, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened on October 10 that Ankara will send all 3.6 million Syrian refugees who are presently in Turkey to Europe. He further said that they will open the gates and send the refugees away who seek asylum. The Turkey leader even tweeted his address to the press in Turkish and made it public. President Erdogan had announced on October 9 that the Turkish Armed Forces along with the Syrian National Army has launched the Operation Spring of Peace in northern Syria in order to clear out the “ISIS terrorist organizations.”

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(With agency inputs)