MOSCOW, August 24. /TASS/. Moscow is deeply worried over the latest events in the area of the Syrian-Turkish border, because the risk of further degradation of the situation and soaring inter-ethnic tensions between Kurds and Arabs causes alarm, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"Moscow is deeply worried over the ongoing events in the area of the Syrian-Turkish border," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. "First and foremost very worrisome is the risk of a further deterioration of the situation in the zone of the conflict, including the possibility of civilian casualties it may entail and the soaring inter-ethnic contradictions between the Kurds and the Arabs."

The Russian Foreign Ministry is certain that the Syrian crisis can be settled exclusively through a wide intra-Syrian dialog involving the Kurds.

"We are certain that the Syrian crisis can be settled exclusively on the firm basis of international law, through a wide intra-Syrian dialog encompassing all ethnic and religious groups, including the Kurds, on the basis of the Geneva communique of June 30, 2012, Resolution 2254 and other decisions by the UN Security Council, adopted at the initiative of the International Syria Support Group," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Ankara on Wednesday morning declared the Turkish army had begun an operation in the territory of neighboring Syria. Turkish armor and ground troops, including commando units in cooperation with the allied armed groups of the Syrian opposition crossed the border into Syria. Ankara has declared that the purpose of its military operation is struggle against the Islamic State (terrorist group outlawed in Russia) and the Kurdish militias.