Türkiye wants a "safe zone" within the Syrian border

(Baonghean.vn) - As Syrian Kurdish forces approach the border with Türkiye, Ankara has called for the creation of a 10-kilometer safe zone within Syrian territory. This area would also include Azaz, the last stronghold of rebel forces in Syria before crossing into Turkish territory.

Illustration photo. Source: picture alliance.

In an interview on February 17, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan told A Haber TV that the border area within Syrian territory should be “outside the conflict zone.” Akdogan did not elaborate on the size or how such a zone would be created.

Turkey, which is currently hosting more than 2.6 million Syrian refugees, has long called for a safe zone, complete with a no-fly zone, to protect its borders and civilians displaced on Syrian soil. Several temporary camps have also been set up inside Syria near Azaz.

“Threat” from Turkish forces

Wary of advances by Syrian Kurdish forces in Aleppo province near the border, Türkiye has repeatedly bombed the forces' sites in recent days, despite international calls to halt the attacks.

Turkish officials said the shelling was a response to fire from Kurdish positions. Ankara views the Kurdish YPG militia as a direct threat to its security and is concerned about the group’s recent territorial gains.

However, Türkiye's shelling in northern Syria has also complicated the situation in Syria's Aleppo province, where pro-Assad forces have made significant advances - especially since Russia began supporting Assad with airstrikes in September.

Merkel: “useful” safe zone

Ankara’s “safe zone” proposal has yet to gain real support from Washington or its NATO allies, concerned that it would require an internationally patrolled no-fly zone and potentially bring them into direct confrontation with Assad and his allies.

However, in an interview with the German daily Stuttgarter Zeitung on February 16, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that such a “safe zone” would be “useful in the current situation.”

Responding to Merkel's comments on February 17, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov argued that any decision to create a no-fly zone in Syrian airspace should not be made without the approval of the Damascus government as well as the United Nations Security Council.

Thu Giang

(According to AFP, Reuters)