ANSD : Turkey has ‘no patience left’ with U.S. on Syria safe zone

TUE 26 - 11 - 2024

Date: Jul 25, 2019
Source: The Daily Star

Turkey has ‘no patience left’ with U.S. on Syria safe zone

_Reuters
ANKARA/AMMAN: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Wednesday that new U.S. proposals for a safe zone in northern Syria fell short and Turkey was running out of patience as Washington appeared to be stalling in efforts to seal an agreement. U.S. special envoy for Syria James Jeffrey held talks in Ankara this week on the zone and other issues, including progress on a road map agreed last year for the northern town of Manbij to be cleared of the Kurdish YPG militia.

The militia has been the main U.S. ally on the ground in Syria during Washington’s fight against Daesh (ISIS). However, Turkey has been infuriated by U.S. support for the YPG, which Ankara considers a terrorist organization, and has repeatedly demanded that Washington cut its ties.

Following the U.S. decision to withdraw from northern Syria, the NATO allies agreed to create the safe zone, which Turkey says should be controlled by its forces and also cleared of the YPG.

But at a news conference in Ankara Wednesday, Cavusoglu said that the two countries had failed to agree on how deep the safe zone would be, who would control it and whether the YPG would be completely removed from the area.

“We got the impression that they want to enter a stalling process here as in Manbij,” Cavusoglu said.

“We need to reach an agreement regarding the safe zone as soon as possible because we have no patience left.”

Cavusoglu also said that U.S. military officials meeting with a YPG leader Monday - the same day as Jeffrey’s talks at the Foreign Ministry - indicated Washington was not sincere.

The U.S. Embassy in Ankara said in a statement later Wednesday that the two sides were committed to accelerated and concrete progress on the Manbij road map, adding that Jeffrey had “forthright, positive, and productive” talks during his visit.

“There was an overall discussion on Syria and specifically for the northeast, both sides committed to accelerated and concrete progress on the Manbij road map, and discussed detailed proposals to enhance Turkey’s security along the Turkish border in northeast Syria,” the U.S. Embassy said in a statement.

Cavusoglu said Wednesday that there had been no progress on the Manbij road map and reiterated that Turkey had “run out of patience” and would launch a cross-border military operation unless an agreement on the safe zone could be reached.

“We had a military operation [on the agenda] before, but we halted it over Trump’s request,” Cavusoglu said, adding that a deal on the safe zone needed to be reached. “Otherwise, we will do what is necessary ourselves and we are determined.”

Separately, Syrian state television said Wednesday that Israel struck a strategic area in southern Syria overlooking the Golan Heights where Western intelligence sources previously said Iranian-backed militias were known to be based.

The newsflash on state-owned Ikhbariyah did not give details, but said that the strike was directed at Tal al-Hara, which had long been an outpost for Russian forces but was later taken by Iranian-backed militias, according to Western intelligence sources.

State news agency SANA later said damages were only material.

Tal al-Hara is a strategically located area in southern Deraa province overlooking the Israeli-held Golan Heights. It was for many years a major Russian military radar outpost until rebels took it over in 2014 before it was again recaptured by the Syrian army last year.

The zone has been a target of Israeli raids against Tehran-backed militias that have become entrenched in southern Syria and the Golan Heights.

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