Thursday, October 10 2019 16:35

ArmInfo. The Armenian Embassy in Syria and the Consulate General are developing various possible options for the evacuation of representatives of the  Armenian community, if such a need suddenly arises. This was stated  by the Head of the Department of the Middle East and Africa of the RA  Ministry of Foreign Affairs Armen Melkonyan.

According to the Armenian diplomat, 13 out of 16 families living in  Tel Abyad, one of the most important targets of the Turkish  intervention, left their homes and moved by land to the city of  Hasake. "In the north- east of Syria, 400-420 Armenian families  currently live. They mainly live in the city of Camishli, which  yesterday faced single missile attack. But it should be noted that  the major part of the city is under the control of the Syrian  authorities and I believe that the military invasion will not reach  territories under the control of the SAR authorities, "Melkonyan said  in an interview with Azatutyun radio, while assuring that both the  Armenian embassy in Damascus and the Consulate General in Aleppo are  in constant contact with the leadership of the community, and they  haven't yet asked for evacuation, since they belive there is no the  danger.

At the same time, he emphasized that given the unpredictability of  the further development of the situation, the diplomatic missions of  the Republic of Armenia in Syria are developing all possible options,  and if there is a need for evacuation, it will be done. It should be  noted that on October 9, Turkey launched a large-scale  "anti-terrorist operation" in the areas of Syria east of the  Euphrates River.

According to the Turkish president, the purpose of the operation,  called the "Source of Peace", is to eliminate the threat of terrorism  along the Turkish borders and create a "security zone" where millions  of Syrian refugees will voluntarily return.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Washington did  not give Turkey the green light to start a military operation in  northern Syria. At the same time, Pompeo supported the decision of  Donald Trump to withdraw American forces from this area. This  decision of the American president has been criticized both in the  United States and outside the country. Donald Trump himself after the  start of the air raids called the operation of Turkey against the  Syrian Kurds a bad idea.  Statements condemning the actions of the  Turkish authorities were made by the Armenian Foreign Ministry and  Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The Armenian Foreign Ministry  emphasized the unacceptability of Turkey's military invasion of  northeast Syria and called on the international community to take  efforts to curb these actions by the Turkish authorities, which will  further destabilize the situation in the region.  The EU also  condemned Turkey's actions in Syria. And in the US Senate, a bill has  already been submitted, which involves the imposition of sanctions  against Turkey.