ANSD : Erdogan vows Syria safe zone as new U.N. envoy arrives

MON 25 - 11 - 2024

Date: Jan 16, 2019
Source: The Daily Star

Erdogan vows Syria safe zone as new U.N. envoy arrives

North Syria must be under regime control: Lavrov

_{Associated Press}
DAMASCUS: Turkey’s president said Tuesday his troops will establish a 32-kilometer-wide “safe zone” in northern Syria, adding that Turkey would seek logistical and financial assistance from the United States and other allies to create the zone. The announcement by Recep Tayyip Erdogan came as the United Nations’ new special envoy for Syria arrived in Damascus, his first visit to the war-torn country since he took over in January.

Erdogan told his ruling party legislators in Parliament that the safe zone would keep “terrorists out,” protect civilians and stem the flow of refugees.

Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed the issue in a telephone call late Monday that apparently aimed to ease tensions after the U.S. president tweeted a threat to Turkey warning of economic harm should Turkey attack U.S.-backed Kurdish forces in Syria.

Ankara considers the Kurdish forces in Syria terrorists aligned with a Kurdish insurgency within Turkey’s own borders.

Erdogan said the two leaders reached an “understanding of historical importance.”

“If the coalition forces and the United States especially, if they give us logistical and financial support with the condition of protecting the people’s safety there, we would accomplish such a safe zone,” Erdogan said.

Erdogan suggested the zone could be extended farther than 32 kilometers. “This is an issue that our friends can discuss and assess and which I look positively upon,” he said.

In Damascus, Geir Pedersen, the new U.N. special envoy for Syria, said he hopes to have productive talks with Syrian officials.

He spoke briefly to reporters upon his arrival at the capital, before heading to a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem.

State-run media quoted Moallem as saying Syria is prepared to cooperate with Pedersen toward reaching a political solution to the Syrian crisis, adding that any such settlement must be based on the “eradication of terrorism and ending all illegitimate foreign presence in Syrian territory.”

The veteran Norwegian diplomat took over from Staffan de Mistura.

“I hope we will have very substantial and productive talks and look forward to talking to you more after my discussions,” Pedersen said. His office tweeted that he is looking forward to productive meetings in Damascus.

Syria has said it will cooperate with Pederson if he avoids the “methods” of his predecessor and commits to Syria’s territorial integrity.

Nearly half a million people have been killed in the seven-year civil war in Syria since it started and various U.N.-led peace efforts and indirect talks between the Syrian government and opposition in Geneva ended in failure.

Pedersen has served the U.N. in various roles including as special coordinator for Lebanon in 2007-2008. He was a member of Norway’s team that negotiated the 1993 Oslo accords, which resulted in mutual recognition between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel, and was Norway’s representative to the Palestinian Authority between 1998 and 2003.

North Syria must be under regime control: Lavrov
_{Agence France Presse}
MOSCOW: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday that Syria's regime must take control of the country's north, after calls from the US to set up a Turkish-controlled "security zone" in the area.

"We are convinced that the best and only solution is the transfer of these territories under the control of the Syrian government, and of Syrian security forces and administrative structures," Lavrov told reporters.

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