The United States said that thousands of displaced people are not allowed to return their homes in Syria's Afrin.
"We have expressed grave concern about the humanitarian situation in Afrin over recent weeks and months. That remains a concern of ours today," U.S. Department of State spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a briefing on May 3.
"We have been watching this situation very carefully in Afrin. 140,000 people have been displaced from Afrin, and as far as we can tell, they are not being allowed back in their homes and communities," she added.
"We call on all relevant sides, all relevant actors operating in the northwest—that includes Turkey, Russia, and Syria—to provide access for international humanitarian aid organizations and to allow for people to come home. They cannot be forced back in their homes, but we would like for them to be brought home or to be able to head home safely and as soon as possible," Nauert said.
RUSSIAN S-400 MISSILE SYSTEM
The nature of the US concerns with Turkey’s purchase of Russian S-400 air defence systems centre on the weapon’s interoperability with NATO armaments and not about restrictions under the US Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) of 2017, Nauert also said during a press briefing.
"Under NATO and under the NATO agreement, which of course, Turkey is a NATO member, you’re only supposed to buy, they are only supposed to buy, weapons and other material that are interoperable with other NATO partners," Nauert added.
ANKARA SLAMS US COMMENTS ON AFRIN'S DISPLACED PEOPLE
Responding to the comments made by the U.S. State Department, Turkish Foreign Ministry on May 5 denied reports that citizens of Syria’s northern province of Afrin were not being allowed back in their homes.
"The U.S. State Department spokeswoman has made unfortunate statements based on unconfirmed assumptions under the influence of PYD/YPG terrorist organization’s smear campaign in a news conference on May 3,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said in a statement, referring to Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party and the armed People’s Protection Units.
Turkey will maintain its presence in the northern Syrian province of Afrin until it has been secured, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on May 4.
“We will remain in Afrin and we will be there until we assure its security," Erdoğan said, speaking at the Istanbul Youth Festival.
“Idlib, Tal Rifaat and Manbij will be next,” he added, naming Syrian provinces.
