Turkey occupying Syria, trying to build city near al-Bab: Syrian envoy

The Syrian ambassador to Russia has accused Turkey of seeking to establish a city near the northern Syrian city of al-Bab, citing Turkish troops’ presence and occupation of the area.

Riad Haddad told Russia’s Sputnik news agency on Wednesday that the situation on the ground contradicts Turkey’s claim about the end of its military campaign on Syrian soil.

“In practice, the Turkish side has not withdrawn its troops, which are currently in the north of the city of al-Bab, and are trying, with the help of factions that are allies of Turkey, to build a city there. I mean those terrorist groups which are located in the area, and thus they violate the territorial sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic,” Haddad said.

Turkey launched its incursion into Syria on August 24, 2016, in an alleged bid to push Daesh terrorists from the border with Syria and stop the advance of Kurdish forces. Damascus condemned the campaign as an act of aggression.