Saudi Arabia rejects Turkish military intervention in Syria

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Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah has said that the country “rejects” Turkish military intervention in northern Syria.

"We reject Turkish military intervention in northern Syria and we call on Arab countries to take a serious position towards Turkish intervention in the region," said Prince Faisal, while speaking at a session of the Arab Parliament in Egypt on Jan. 15.

Prince Faisal's comments came amid reports that Saudia Arabia and Egypt have been recently trying to reconcile the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - which the YPG militia spearheads - with the Syrian opposition in an attempt to move the Syrian opposition away from Turkey. Such a move aims to weaken Turkey’s influence in the region, say these reports.

A delegation from the SDF was reported to have visited the Saudi capital Riyadh in December for discussions on the future of northern Syria. Reports said the kingdom invited the delegation to discuss cooperation between Riyadh and the SDF.

Turkey and its Syrian rebel allies on Oct. 9, 2919 launched a military operation into northeastern Syria, with the aim to “eliminate a terror corridor” along the southern Turkish border.

Turkish authorities say the offensive, dubbed “Operation Peace Spring,” aims to eliminate threats from the YPG militia and ISIS militants, and enable the return of Syrian refugees in Turkey after the formation of a “safe zone” in the area.

Turkey considers the YPG as a terrorist organisation and says it is an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has fought for Kurdish autonomy in Turkey for decades.

Prince Faisal on Jan. 15 also said the Arab region is undergoing political and economic changes while stressing the importance of non-interference in the internal affairs of countries.

After these remarks, Prince Faisal pointed to Saudi Arabia providing more than $14 billion to help “our brothers” in Yemen.