Iran opposes Turkey’s Syria military action

TEHRAN, Oct 08 (AFP): Iran's top diplomat Mohammad Javad Zarif told his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in a phone call that Tehran is opposed to military action in Syria, the foreign ministry said.

"Zarif voiced opposition to military action" and "urged respect for Syria's territorial integrity and national sovereignty," Zarif was quoted as saying in a statement issued late Monday.

The Iranian foreign minister also "stressed the need for the fight against terrorism and for the establishment of stability and security in Syria".

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that Turkey was poised to launch a military operation against Kurdish forces in northern Syria, after US President Donald Trump gave him the green light.

Trump's decision to withdraw US troops from the region has faced strong criticism in the US, including from his own allies who have accused him of turning his back on Kurds who took heavy casualties in the US-backed campaign against the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria.

In their phone call, Zarif told Cavusoglu that the Adana agreement was "the best approach for Syria and Turkey and for addressing their concerns".