18 January 2019

Syrian border ‘safe zone' receives mixed reception

by Kerry Herschelman

Ankara has embraced the proposed establishment of a 32 km-deep ‘safe zone’ inside northeast Syria, but other major actors are opposed to an expanded Turkish military presence in the country.

An infographic released by Turkey’s Anadolu Agency on 16 January shows the proposed ‘safe zone’ in northeast Syria. (Anadolu Agency)

US President Donald Trump mentioned a safe zone in a 13 January tweet in which he also threatened to “devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds”, a reference to Ankara’s apparent determination to attack the Syrian Kurdish People’s Defence Units (YPG) that it considers to be terrorists despite the central role the forces have played in fighting the Islamic State. “Likewise, [I] do not want the Kurds to provoke Turkey,” Trump added.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said two days later that he had spoken to Trump about a zone that would be established by the Turkish military. “A safe zone along Turkey’s borders that will be formed by us – an issue that I have brought up since the Obama era – was reiterated by him as 20 miles,” he told members of his party in parliament.

In a subsequent telephone interview, Erdoğan said the safe zone could be deeper than 32 km, but also indicated that it was still a proposed plan that would require logistical support from the US-led coalition.

Ankara has embraced the proposed establishment of a 32 km-deep ‘safe zone’ inside northeast Syria,...

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