Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 30
By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:
Turkey will not allow delaying the process of creating a security zone in Syria, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said.
“The US must keep the promises made to Ankara regarding the creation of a security zone in Syria,” Akar added, Trend reports on Aug. 30 referring to the Turkish media.
The minister stressed that Ankara expects the Syrian wing of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorist organization - PYD / YPG to leave northern Syria.
The Turkish drones began to fly over northern Syria to observe the territory as part of the agreement on the creation of a security zone in northern Syria reached between the US and Turkey on Aug. 14.
As reported, Washington and Ankara reached an agreement to establish a coordination center in Sanliurfa province in Turkey to create a security zone in Syria.
Akar stated earlier that Turkey and the US would soon launch a coordination center for the creation of a security zone in Syria.
According to Akar, the US knows that Turkey will not allow the creation of any formations at its borders. He noted that Turkey insists on the depth of the security zone in northern Syria to be 30-40 kilometers. Akar stressed that the US should seize weapons from PYD / YPG terrorists.
Turkey and the US came to an agreement on the creation of a security zone in northern Syria on August 7. On June 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. Cavusoglu and Pompeo had a meeting in Brussels and discussed the Operation Olive Branch, as well as other issues.
The safety zone in the north of Syria includes a territory 32 kilometers deep and 460 kilometers long along the Syrian border with Turkey. In the 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 safety 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.
The city of Manbij, where Turkey had previously intended to conduct anti-terrorist operations, is not a part of the safety zone.
---
Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu