The United States calls on Turkey to exercise restraint while conducting the military operation in the northern Syria in order to avoid the victims among the population, US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Sunday.
"The United States is very concerned about the situation in northwest Syria, especially the plight of innocent civilians who are now faced with an escalation in fighting," Nauert said in a statement released by the Department of State.
The United States recognizes Turkey's right to carry out legal activities in order to ensure its security, however, Washington calls for scrupulousness during the operation and for focusing on the struggle against the Islamic State terrorist group, the spokeswoman added.
"We continue to be supportive of addressing the legitimate security concerns of Turkey as a NATO Ally and critical partner in the effort to defeat ISIS. However, we urge Turkey to exercise restraint and ensure that its military operations remain limited in scope and duration and scrupulous to avoid civilian casualties. We call on all parties to remain focused on the central goal of defeating ISIS. Now is the time for great nations to work together to secure a peaceful stability for the people of Syria," the diplomat added.
According to Nauert, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has voiced this position during the recent talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu.
