Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3
By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:
Turkey’s Ankara city has urged Washington to create a security zone in northern Syria, as well as ensure the withdrawal of the troops of the Syrian wing of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorist organization - PYD / YPG from the Syrian northern regions, Turkish Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar said on May 3.
“The US must ensure control over the withdrawal of PYD / YPG troops from the northern regions deep at least 30-40 kilometers into Syria’s territory,” Akar added, Trend reports referring to the Turkish media.
The minister also stressed that Washington positively reacted to Ankara’s demands.
On December 12, 2018, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Turkish armed forces will launch a new military operation in northern Syria against PYD / YPG.
Erdogan said that there are the US soldiers in the ranks of the terrorists in Syria.
"Despite the US promised Turkey not to support the Syrian wing of the PKK terrorist organization - PYD / YPG, Washington did not keep its word," the president added.
On Jun. 4, 2018, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed a roadmap on Syria's Manbij during talks in Washington.
On Jan. 20, 2018, Turkish Armed Forces, together with the Free Syrian Army, launched the Operation Olive Branch in Afrin, Syria.
On Aug. 24, 2016, the Turkish Armed Forces launched the Operation Euphrates Shield against the "Islamic State", and with the support of the Syrian opposition liberated the border town of Jarablus, as well as Al-Bab in northern Syria.
The security zone in northern Syria consists of an area of 32 kilometers and a length of 460 kilometers along the Syrian-Turkish border. In case of the creation of this zone, it will be divided into two parts, the first part will start from the Iraqi-Syrian border and will be extended to the Syrian city of Qamishli, because the Syrian government forces control this city.
The second part of the security zone will start from Qamishli and will be extended to Jarabulus city, which was liberated from the terrorists of the “Islamic State” (IS) as part of the Operation Euphrates Shield conducted by the Turkish Armed Forces in 2016.
Manbij city, where Turkey had previously intended to conduct new anti-terrorist operations, will not be a part of the security zone.
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