DAMASCUS: Turkey's attempt to create a safe zone in Syria's north has been branded a "aggressive and colonial move" by the Syrian Foreign Ministry.

According to the state news report, the Turkish side wants to create a "explosive hotspot" inside Syria and continues to "equip and operate terrorist groups to use against the Syrian people."

It stated that Turkish military operations on Syrian soil are "illegitimate and invalid," and that such actions are "tantamount to war crimes."

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Monday that Turkey is intending to conduct a new military operation in Syria to connect two areas already under Turkish control in the northern region near the Turkish border.

Erdogan stated that the goal is to create a 30-kilometer safe zone along Turkey's Syrian border.

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