Turkey, US Agree To Create 275-Miles-Long Safe Zone On Border With Syria - Adviser

ANTAKYA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th October, 2019) Ankara has agreed with Washington to create a 444-kilometer-long (275 miles) safe zone controlled by its troops on the Syrian border, Yasin Aktay, an adviser of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, told Sputnik.

"The depth of the created safe zone was discussed during the meeting with the US, when the Turkish side confirmed the need to create a safe zone on the border with Syria with a depth of 32 kilometers [19 miles] and a length of 444 kilometers, which was agreed with the US delegation," Aktay said.

According to the adviser, the absence of a written agreement with the United States on the safe zone does not mean disagreement on this matter or on the content of the deal.

"The east of the Euphrates, in particular, the provinces of Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor, which was discussed with the United States, will be fully included in the safe zone, and we managed to reach mutual understanding on this issue. The agreement reached with the Americans is clear, the Turkish armed forces will exercise control over the safe zone, the depth and extent of which will be determined by Turkey," Aktay stressed.

At the same time, he pointed out that Ankara's cooperation with Washington on safe zone will continue within the framework of the relationship between the two countries as NATO members. After withdrawing from these territories, the United States is expected to leave Turkey with security controls in this area.

Turkey launched the Operation Peace Spring on October 9, saying that the military action aimed to create the safe zone near the Syrian-Turkish border after multiple fruitless discussions between Washington and Ankara. The territory on the Syrian side of the border is currently controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which Ankara regards as affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (banned in Turkey).

The Syrian government has condemned the Turkish offensive in northern Syria as an act of aggression, while Russia, as well as a number of Arab and Western nations, including the United States, voiced concern over the developments.