US officials express concern over Turkey's plans for a new Syria offensive

ISIS members apprehended following the attack on the al-Sina Prison in northeastern Syria.

US officials have expressed concern over Turkey's reported preparations for a new military offensive in Syria, warning that such an attempt would endanger the US forces in the region and undermine the fight against ISIS.

The officials decided to go public with the issue after bilateral talks did not stop Turkey's threats to expand the existing 30-kilometer deep "safe zone" in northeastern Syria, according to a report by Voice of America.

Speaking at a forum in Washington on Wednesday (July 13), Dana Stroul, the deputy assistant secretary of defense, was quoted as saying, "We strongly oppose any Turkish operation into northern Syria and have made clear our objections to Turkey."

ISIS would take advantage of such a situation, she added.

Three other US officials speaking at the forum expressed similar concerns.

Timothy Betts, the acting counterterrorism coordinator of the State Department, was quoted as saying, "Increased military activity in Syria is only going to increase the instability and the opportunities for ISIS."

Joshua Geltzer, White House deputy homeland security adviser, noted that ISIS has taken credit for at least 350 attacks in Syria and Iraq already this year.

A military offensive would also destabilize the region and cause a humanitarian crisis, according to Andrew Plitt, an official with the US Agency for International Development.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in late May that Turkey would launch a new offensive against the People's Protection Units (YPG), a Syrian Kurdish group that Ankara considers to be an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Turkey would establish "safe zones" along the border and subsequently repatriate up to a million Syrian refugees, according to Erdoğan's plan.

Both the US and Russia voiced opposition to Erdoğan's intentions.

Ankara needs the consent of at least one of these two countries, depending on where it carries out a military operation.

In early June, Erdoğan said the cities of Tell Rifaat and Manbij would be "cleared from the terrorists." Russia has troops in both cities and the US has troops in Manbij, where Turkey has carried out joint patrols with both countries since 2018.

Government officials have been silent about the issue over the pst few weeks. (VK)