Official: Kurds Not to Accept Turkish-Controlled Safe Zone in Syria

“It should first be clear who is a threat and the security of which side should be protected to create a safe zone,” Aldar Khalil, the head of YPG’s diplomatic relations committee, told the Kurdish-language Hawar news on Wednesday.

He added that if the safe zone is meant to establish security in Northern Syria and protect the region against Turkish threats, it is a good policy.

“Entrusting Turkey with controlling the safe zone in Northern Syria is a source of deep concerns because it has threatened of occupation of all regions in Northern Syria,” Khalil said.

“We are opposed to the creation of a safe zone under the control and supervision of Turkey in Northern and Northeastern Syria,” he underlined.

US President Donald Trump and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan have both floated the idea of a safe zone in Northern Syria as a solution to prevent a Turkish military offensive against Kurdish forces in the area. Ankara says that the YPG are a terror organization and a threat to Turkey. The YPG denies the charge and says Turkey is the aggressor.

Trump and Erdogan discussed the proposal in a phone call on Monday, after Trump tweeted about it.

Khalil said they are still trying to figure out what exactly Trump and Erdogan envision for this safe zone.