Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that any safe zone on the border with Syria must be under Turkish control.
“If there is to be a safe zone along our border then it must be under our control. Because that is my border”, Erdogan told CNN Turk.
The Turkish president said peaceful and stabilized environment built in Syria’s Afrin, Jarabulus and al-Bab provinces should be sustained in border regions.
“It is important for us that the US decision to withdraw from Syria does not lead to developments against the interests of our countries and Syria’s political unity and territorial integrity,” Erdogan said, adding that a vacuum after the withdrawal to be replaced by terrorist groups is unacceptable.
Erdogan noted meanwhile, that the Adana Agreement — signed between Ankara and Damascus in 1998 – allows Turkish forces to conduct operations inside Syria near the Turkish border.
The news come amid reports of US plans to leave roughly 400 troops in Syria after the scheduled pullout announced by US President Donald Trump in December. About 200 troops will be located in northeastern Syria in addition to another 200 personnel near the Jordanian border, The Washington Post reported on Friday, citing a senior official.
Source: Agencies
