Turkey Puts at Risk Syria Peace Talks - Opposition

Opposition Syrian Democratic Council co-leader Haytham Manna said that Turkey and allegedly moderate opposition groups do not respect the established ceasefire in Syria, and are putting at risk the new round of the intra-Syrian peace talks scheduled for Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Turkey and allegedly moderate opposition groups do not respect the established ceasefire in Syria, and are putting at risk the new round of the intra-Syrian peace talks scheduled for Wednesday, opposition Syrian Democratic Council co-leader Haytham Manna told Sputnik on Monday.

"The ceasefire is not respected by other groups, not by us. There are attacks against civilian Arabs and Kurds from the so-called moderate groups. Also, Turkey opened the border for many armed people who came from Turkish territories to the north of Aleppo," Manna stated.

Earlier on Monday, a spokesman for the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) told Sputnik that Turkey shelled Kurdish positions in the north of Aleppo province in Syria, in the vicinity of the town of Tall Rifat.

Turkey has been shelling the YPG positions in northern Syria since February to stop Kurds from seizing ground in the area. Ankara considers the YPG to be an ally of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a separatist movement fighting for Kurdish self-determination in southeastern Turkey.

On Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Turkey is fully responsible for the continuation of hostilities in Syria's Aleppo and Idlib provinces as Ankara ensures steady supply of weapons to terrorists and keeps shelling groups of Kurdish militia fighting against Jabhat al-Nusra, or Nusra Front militants.