Syria safe zone plan ‘gone with the wind’

Mohamed Abdel Ghaffar

A ‘safe zone’ in northern Syria was an objective of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after his visit to Washington in May 2013. However, the differences between Turkey and the United States foiled the creation of a safe zone in northern Syria.

Defense officials from both countries issued separate but similar statements after three days of talks in Ankara, the Turkish capital. The statements gave no details on the size of the zone or how it will be policed, which may still be undecided, but the agreement was presented by Turkey as a meeting of its demands.

Critically, the statements, released by the U.S. Embassy in Ankara and Turkey’s Defense Ministry, did not say whether the thorniest issue — the size and complexion of the safe zone — had been resolved.

International organizations have been seeking to establish safe zones in war-torn regions. However, the term “safe zone” was never mentioned in the The Geneva Conventions in 1949, nor the protocols in 1977.

The zones, according to the proposal, would be monitored by international observers and allow for the voluntary return of refugees.

Turkey wants to establish a safe zone 19 to 25 miles (30 to 40 kilometers) deep east of the Euphrates River in Syria, while the US wants the area to be only 5 km deep.

In 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested the establishment of four safe zones that include areas in the provinces of Idlib and Homs, the Eastern Ghouta suburb outside Damascus, and an area in the south of the country.

Researcher Maged Kayali, an expert on Turkish affairs, said the conference did not reveal any clear information about the agreement between the United States and Turkey.

“Probably, it was meant for putting an end to Turkish-US tensions. Evidently, Turkey will not carry out any unilateral military operation unless there’s coordination with the US,” Kayali told THE REFERENCE.

The researcher has made it clear that it will be difficult to predict the future of the safe zone, citing what he described as “many players in Syria”.

“The United States and Turkey will not be able to impose a reality in the Syrian crisis without Russia. It is expected that there will be more talks among all of these players in the future,” Kayali added.