Syrian tribes release joint statement rejecting Turkish safe zone

On Friday morning, thousands of tribesmen from Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon traveled to the town of Ithriya in northeastern Hama to meet with a large Syrian government delegation.

During the meeting, the tribesmen and Syrian government reached a consensus on the upcoming Turkish military operation and their proposed safe zone.

The Arab tribesmen then released a joint statement that rejected the Turkish operation and safe zone.

“The flag of Syria is the banner of the homeland, which symbolizes its sovereignty,” the statement began.

“We strongly oppose the creation of a so-called safe zone in the north of Syria… The Syrian people are brought up on the concept of protecting the independence and sovereignty of their homeland and themselves by all possible means against any kind of aggression, including the occupation of the Syrian territory by the United States and Turkey,” the joint statement read.

The leaders of the clans have agreed that the Syrian nation has the right to decide the country’s political, economic, and social future through dialogue without foreign interference.

“We stand for the unity and independence of Syria and against any project or plan for the division [of the territory] under any excuse,” the statement added.