US President Trump defends troop withdrawal: "Fight where it benefits us"

The ever more concrete threats from Turkey with a military offensive in northern Syria have aroused great international concern.

The Federal Government, the European Union and the United Nations warned of the consequences of an invasion.

US President Donald Trump defended the decision to withdraw the US military from the region.

Trump wrote on Twitter on Monday that it was time for his country to "finally come out of these ridiculous endless wars." The US only fought where it benefited them. It is now up to Turkey, Europe, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Russia and the Kurds to find a solution to the conflict.

... almost 3 years, but it's time to get rid of this ridiculous Endless Wars, many of them tribal and bring our soldiers home. WE WILL FIGHT WHERE IT IS TOO BENEFIT, AND ONLY FIGHT TO WIN. Turkey, Europe, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Russia and the Kurds want to have now .....

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said on Monday that a military operation "both from the air and with ground forces" could be imminent. The planned offensive is directed against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) led by the Kurdish militia YPG, which control large parts of the territory on the northern Syrian border.

Earlier, following a telephone conversation with Trump Erdogan had announced the US, nor the Kurdish militias who were their allies in the fight against the "Islamic State", nor want to support the Turkish military in the conflict.

The SDF rebels described the behavior of the US as a "stab in the back". There have been assurances from the US that they would not allow a Turkish attack on the region, said an SDF spokesman.

EU calls on Turkey to "ensure an end to hostilities"

Sharp warnings of an escalation of the conflict came from the EU. A spokeswoman warned that armed clashes in the north of the country would "not only exacerbate the suffering of civilians and lead to massive displacement," but also threaten ongoing political efforts to resolve the Syrian conflict.

EU foreign policy spokeswoman Federica Mogherini said that while recognizing Turkey's "legitimate security concerns," the European Union remains "committed to the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the Syrian state."

According to the EU, "any sustainable solution" for the Syria conflict can not be achieved by military means, but only by a "real political transition". The EU foreign ministers want to deal with Syria at their meeting next Monday.

The EU also calls on Turkey to "ensure an end to hostilities" in Syria and "to guarantee the protection of civilians," the spokeswoman said. For the EU are therefore not given the conditions for Erdogan's plan to settle after the offensive in a "security zone" in the north of the civil war country currently living in Turkey Syria refugees. "This can only happen if the conditions for a voluntary and dignified return are met."

Federal government warns against escalation - and shows understanding

Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer recently criticized these plans. His spokesman Steve Alter said Seehofer made it clear to Turkish government officials in Ankara last week that the federal government "has its problems" with the establishment of a "security zone" for the settlement of refugees in Syria.

The federal government said it "takes very seriously the repeated announcements by Turkish politicians to launch a unilateral military operation in northern Syria." "Such military intervention would lead to further escalation in Syria," said deputy government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer. However, one also understands the security interests of Turkey in the border region.

The UN is also worried. "We hope for the best, but we are preparing for the worst," said Panos Moumtzis, the head of the UN relief mission in Syria.