Photo taken on Aug. 24, 2016 shows Turkish tanks moving near the Turkish-Syrian border. The Turkish army launched on Wednesday a cross-border operation to drive out Islamic State (IS) terrorist militants, the prime minister's office said in a statement. (Xinhua/Mert Macit)
DAMASCUS, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- Syria's Foreign Ministry condemned the entry of Turkish forces into northern Syria on Wednesday, saying any anti-terror efforts should be coordinated with the Syrian government.
The ministry said Turkish tanks and armored vehicles crossed the Turkish-Syrian borders on Wednesday morning under the air cover of a U.S.-led coalition toward the Syrian city of Jarablus.
It said the Turkish aim of entering Jarablus was not to fight the Islamic State (IS) terrorists, and that the move was another manifestation of terrorism, as Turkey is substituting one terror group with another.
The ministry was apparently referring to Turkey-backed Syrian rebels who have reportedly crossed the borders with Turkish forces.
The ministry said that any anti-terrorism effort must be coordinated with the Syrian government, describing the Turkish intervention as a flagrant violation of Syrian sovereignty.
It urged the United Nations to invoke all of its resolutions about the need to end the "Turkish aggression."
Earlier in the day, Turkish tanks, special forces, as well as Turkey-backed Syria rebels reportedly crossed the borders toward the city of Jarablus, an IS stronghold near Turkey.
Some observers here believe fighting the IS is not the priority of Turkey, saying that Ankara fears the advance of Kurdish forces in northern Syria toward Jarablus, their next declared goal.
Turkey, which has more than 20 million Kurds in its southern region, has long opposed any expansion of Kurdish influence near its border, fearing the threat to its territorial integrity.
