France: MEPs criticise Turkey’s military operation in Syria

*NO CUTAWAYS AT SOURCE*
SOT, Tytti Tuppurainen, representing Finnish Presidency of the Council: "There can be no military solution to the Syrian conflict. It is crucial that instead we support the political process and that a lasting solution is found for all parties involved. Thus we have to support the work of the constitutional committee, due to meet at the end of the month for the first time in Geneva." *MULTIPLE SHOTS AT SOURCE*
SOT, Tytti Tuppurainen, representing Finnish Presidency of the Council: "Turkey's security concerns at its border with Syria will not be answered by the military intervention. This offensive instead undermines the fight against Daesh and threatens our common security."
SOT, Christos Stylianides, the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management: "There can be no excuse for these civilian deaths, damage to civilian infrastructure, absent of protection of people and those who are there to help them. I'm particularly concerned about the horrific situation faced by the healthcare providers."
SOT, Christos Stylianides, the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management: "We are supporting our humanitarian partners in north-east Syria with 38 million euro and we will continue to support them for as long as is needed. But the fighting must stop."
SOT, Michael Gahler, MEP (German): "The Turkish behaviour removes that country politically still further away from the European Union. Therefore in our resolution we have also recalled that this parliament already in March decided on the formal suspension of the accession negotiations."
SOT, Michael Gahler, MEP (German): "We have also mentioned that as a last step, the suspension of the customs union could be considered."
SOT, Kati Piri, MEP: "More than 300,000 civilians had to leave their homes and are now displaced, struggling to find safety. They're caught between advancing Turkish troops and Syrian forces moving in from the south. And hundreds of IS fighters including EU citizens have escaped guarded camps. The summary execution of Kurdish politician Hevren Khalaf, one of the many courageous women in north-east Syria, is an absolute outrage. The latest reports refer also to the alleged use of white phosphorous against civilians by Turkish-backed forces in Ras-al-Ain. The perpetrators of these heinous acts must be prosecuted.
SOT, Malik Azmani, MEP: "The EU's response has not been strong enough. We cannot just stand by and see how others interfere, for example Russia, Assad, Iran, it's also our safety that is at stake."
SOT, Tineke Strik, MEP: "By placing targetted sanctions and visa bans on Turkish government officials, imposing a full arms embargo and by working on suspension of the trade agreements, at the same time we should pro-actively protect the Syrian refugees by stepping up thei re-settlement and take our fair share in their protection. We cannot wait any longer with action and we therefore urge the support for the proposed resolution."
SCRIPT
MEPs and other politicians criticised the Turkish military intervention in northern Syria during a debate at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday.
"The Turkish behaviour removes that country politically still further away from the European Union," said MEP Michael Gahler.
MEP Malik Azmani meanwhile criticised the EU's reaction to Turkey's military operation. "The EU's response has not been strong enough. We cannot just stand by and see how others interfere, for example Russia, Assad, Iran, it's also our safety that is at stake," he said.
Tytti Tuppurainen, who was representing the Finnish Presidency of the Council, critcised the use of military force as a solution to security issues in northern Syria. "Turkey's security concerns at its border with Syria will not be answered by the military intervention. This offensive instead undermines the fight against Daesh and threatens our common security," she said.