MOSCOW
The terrorist organization PKK/YPG will be facing the Turkish Armed Forces if it does not withdraw with its weapons from the Turkish-Syrian border, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.
Russian military police and Syrian border guards will not interfere, Peskov told reporters in Moscow.
Commenting on the agreement signed by Turkey and Russia on Oct. 22 in Sochi, Peskov said some “rough edges” are inevitable in the first stages of its implementation, as the situation cannot “become perfect overnight”.
“Currently, we are deploying our forces and equipment, as well as the forces and equipment of the Syrian border guards in the outlined zones, which itself is a positive fact and indicates that in line with the agreements reached and enshrined in the memorandum, concrete work is being carried out,” Peskov said.
He said Russia is in contact with PKK/YPG and urging them to withdraw from the region.
Turning to the political aspect of the Syrian settlement, Peskov said the first meeting of the Syrian Constitutional Committee — slated for Oct. 31 — is “a positive outcome”.
On Oct. 9, Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring to eliminate terrorists from northern Syria east of the Euphrates River in order to secure Turkey’s borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees, and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.
On Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held a meeting in Russia’s Black Sea resort town of Sochi.
Ankara and Moscow reached a deal under which YPG/PKK terrorists will pull back 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) south of Turkey’s border with northern Syria within 150 hours, and security forces from Turkey and Russia will conduct joint patrols there.
In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union — has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the Syrian offshoot of the PKK.
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