White House urges Turkey to exercise military restraint NW Syria

WASHINGTON, Jan 22 (KUNA) -- Responding to Turkish military action in northwest Syria, US Monday urged Turkey to "exercise restraint in its military actions and rhetoric;" ensure operations limited in scope and duration; ensure humanitarian aid continues; and avoid civilian casualties.
Increased violence in Afrin disrupts a relatively stable area of Syria and distracts from international efforts to ensure the lasting defeat of the so-called Islamic State (IS), White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said during a briefing.
The Turkish action could be exploited by IS and Al Qaeda "for resupply and safe haven, and it risks exacerbating a humanitarian crisis," Sanders said.
The White House calls on all parties to remain focused on the goal of defeating IS, de-escalating and resolving the Syrian conflict and protecting innocent civilians, she said.
"We hear and take seriously Turkey's legitimate security concerns, and are committed to working with Turkey as a NATO ally," Sanders said.
Turkish ground troops crossed into northern Syria as part of a major offensive to push out Kurdish militia, which Turkey regards as terrorists.
"We want to ensure that Assad's brutal regime cannot return to Afrin, and we will continue working diplomatically to end the Syrian civil war," Sanders said, referring to the Syrian regime of President Bashar Al Assad. (end) rm.bs