ARKA, Armenia
Oct 11 2019



Expert: Turkey's actions in Syria pose threat to Armenians


YEREVAN, October 11. /ARKA/. Sona Sukiasyan, an expert in Turkish
affairs from the Orbeli Analytical Center,  told a news conference
today that Turkey's s military operations in Syria have two main
objectives.

The first objective is to cleanse the borders of the country from
Kurdish elements, forcing the local Kurdish population away from
cities and villages, since Turkey regards them as terrorist groups.
The second objective is to resettle about 4 million Syrian Arabs who
sought refuge in Turkey, people who don't come from the region, in
these areas.

“Turkey seeks to create a security belt in northeast Syria and also to
change the demographic situation in this region, replacing the Kurds
with Syrian Arab refugees, who are more loyal to Turkey,” Sukiasyan
said on Tuesday.

She also said that Turkish army poses a danger not only to  the
Armenian, but also to  the entire Christian population of Syria.
According to her, there are now about three thousand Armenians living
in Syria, and that  steps should be taken to ensure their safety.

However, she added  that the actions in Syria are not directed
specifically against the Armenians living there. She said Armenia, as
a country of this region, should be actively involved in the processes
taking place in Syria and t needs to quickly respond to what is
happening in the region.

According to U.N., some s0,000 people in northern Syria have been
forced to flee because of Turkey's assault on Kurdish forces. Turkish
warplanes and artillery blasted targets across the Syrian border
Friday on the third day of the offensive. -0-