European Parliament discusses Syria report, urges Council to pressure Turkey to withdraw

BRUSSELS — The European Parliament discussed a detailed report on the ongoing conflict in Syria and its implications for the entire region, including the Turkish violations in North and East Syria.

The report called for the need to unite efforts of the European Union, member states, and the international community to address these issues, primarily the exploitation of Syria by foreign powers and the presence of Iranian, Turkish and Russian military bases and militias.

The report focused on Turkey’s unilateral military actions, the occupation of northern Syria, in particular the targeting of areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Calling the Turkish actions a violation of international law, the report urged Turkey to end its illegal occupation of North and East Syria and withdraw its forces and proxies.

Despite international and UN warnings and pressure on the Turkish government to end the occupation, in 2023, the Turkish Parliament took a decision to extend military operations in Syria for another 2 years, which further complicated the geopolitical scene.

Based on the report, the European Parliament called on Turkey to withdraw, develop diplomatic solutions instead of military intervention, address the root causes of the conflict and promote a sustainable peace process.