ANKARA, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Turkey on Saturday welcomed the airstrikes launched by the U.S., Britain and France on Syria as an "appropriate reaction" to an alleged chemical attack.
"We welcome this operation that articulates the conscience of humanity to a chemical attack in Douma, which has a strong suspicion of being carried out by the Assad regime," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The use of mass destruction weapons, including chemical weapons, is a crime against humanity, the statement said.
Turkish Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin on Saturday called on the international community to unite to avoid chemical attacks in future, while emphasizing the importance of seeking a political solution to the Syrian crisis.
Turkey, a NATO member whose ties with the U.S. and European countries have been strained recently due to its military operations inside Syria and a crackdown after the failed coup in 2016, has called for restraint by the related parties on resolving the Syria crisis.
On Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged his U.S. and Russian counterparts to avoid escalating regional tensions, and build peace in Syria with all sides together.
Erdogan also reiterated that Turkey's "fight against terror in northern Syria will continue without stopping," referring to the ongoing "Operation Olive Branch" in Syria against Kurdish militants.
