No ‘security zone’ in Syria before trust with US established: Turkish FM

It would not be correct to discuss establishing a “security zone” in coordination with the United States before trust between Ankara and Washington is re-established, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Jan. 25.


“Trust with the U.S. has been damaged,” Çavuşoğlu said, three days after his conversation with U.S. counterpart Rex Tillerson.

“Until trust between the two countries has been re-established, it would not be appropriate to discuss such issues,” he told daily Hürriyet, referring to Tillerson’s suggestion to build a 30-kilometer deep security zone into Syria, starting from the Turkish border.

“We are not certain what exactly the [U.S.] objective is. First of all we need to fix this skeptical environment,” Çavuşoğlu added.

While on an official trip to Europe on Jan. 22, Tillerson said the U.S. recognizes Ankara’s “legitimate right” to defend itself from terrorists, suggesting that a security zone could help stabilize the situation and meet Turkey’s security concerns.
   [hurriyetdailynews.com]
 25/1/18
-
Related:

• Putin, Erdogan discuss situation in Syria, including near Afrin : Kremlin
• Turkey rejects "military operation"/invasion limited to Afrin