Washington has not positively responded to Turkey’s request for a 30-kilometer wide safe zone in northern Syria.
This was stated by Ambassador James Jeffrey, the US special representative for Syria. “I don’t think so we can approve 30 kilometers (too big area), we continue to meet Turks and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) but we couldn’t reach the agreement on the safe zone plan,” Jeffrey told the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
“President Donald Trump is aware that many affiliated to the SDF have political connections with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). We work on a safe zone on a basis only local law enforcement will be active in the area and it will be under the close watch of US and Turkey,” Jeffrey further explained details of the negotiations.
Jeffrey mentioned he and the Department of State regularly communicate with Turkish officials on Syria: “Turkey is trying to change the Syrian government’s approach which we agree with and acting in coordination with Ankara. President Trump made several phone discussions with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. I accompanied Secretary of State Michael Pompeo to his meeting with Erdogan in Turkey.”
President Trump earlier said the 30 kilometers wide buffer zone needed was reasonable and he agrees with Erdogan if the zone is controlled by Turkey with the support of allied countries.
Trump made many statements about the victory over ISIS and declared he would withdraw almost all the American soldiers in Syria. The US justified its support for the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and their affiliated organizations as a struggle against ISIS but despite ISIS being removed from the region, Washington’s continued supply of ammunition to the YPG raises questions, Sputnik Turkey reports.
Turkey sees YPG as a Syrian branch of PKK and wanted all these Kurdish groups to be recognized as terrorist including the SDF. They harshly criticise the countries providing guns to these groups. However, the US and many other European states don’t recognize Kurdish groups as a terrorist and support them against ISIS.
Russian defence ministry say Syrian gov’t forces have ceased fire in Idlib
The post US diplomat says US is still mulling Turkey’s request for a safe zone in Syria appeared first on IPA NEWS.
from IPA NEWS https://ipa.news/2019/05/23/us-diplomat-says-us-is-still-mulling-turkeys-request-for-a-safe-zone-in-syria/
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