Russia's Lavrov: Kurdish problem 'a bomb' for the entire region
dpa
ROME (dpa)- The Kurdish question "is really a bomb" for the entire Middle East Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday, calling on the Kurds to accept dialogue with the Syrian regime.
"I hope that our Kurdish friends may learn from the experience of US zigzags that there is no other way out but to find an agreement with Syrian authorities," Lavrov said.
Speaking at the MED 2019, a foreign policy conference in Rome, he added: "the Kurdish problem is really a bomb for all the countries in the region."
Lavrov reiterated support for the so-called Astana process, an attempt backed by Russia, Turkey and Iran to de-escalate tensions and favour talks between opposing sides in Syria.
Turkey and allied rebels groups in Syria launched a military offensive in the country's north-east on October 9 against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is dominated by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG).
Ankara considers the Kurdish militants to be terrorists linked to separatist fighters in Turkey.
The Turkish operation was launched after President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of US troops from the region, essentially paving the way for Turkey, a NATO partner, to invade.
The Syrian Kurdish fighters have been critical in a US-led campaign to defeat the militant Islamic State, making Trump's decision to pull back highly controversial back home.
Critics have argued that Islamic State could win back influence as this new front opens up in Syria's long-running civil war.
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