Turkey’s Erdogan States No Satisfactory Plan Yet for Northern Syria Safe Zone, According to Reuters

ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan stated that he has yet to receive an acceptable plan from the United States regarding the establishment of a safe zone in northeastern Syria, three weeks after former President Donald Trump proposed the idea.

"There is no satisfactory plan that has been presented to us concretely yet," Erdogan remarked during a parliamentary meeting of his AK Party. "Of course, we are loyal to our agreements; our promise is a promise. However, our patience is not limitless."

Turkey aims to create the safe zone with logistical support from allies, insisting that it should be free of the U.S.-backed Kurdish YPG militia, which Ankara designates as a terrorist organization.

Erdogan emphasized that Turkey does not need permission to carry out its own initiatives in the region. "No threat can divert us from this course, including a sanctions list," he asserted.

The safe zone will be a topic of discussion at a meeting on Wednesday in the United States involving ministers from a coalition of nations combating the Islamic State militant group. Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is set to participate in these discussions.

In December, Trump surprised his national security team with an announcement to withdraw all 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria, claiming that the Islamic State had been defeated in the area.

Erdogan also mentioned on Tuesday that Turkey would only wait a few weeks for the removal of militants from the northern Syrian town of Manbij, which has been under the control of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), predominantly led by the YPG, since 2016.

After months of disagreements, Ankara and Washington reached an agreement in June that aimed for the YPG’s withdrawal from Manbij. However, Turkey has expressed ongoing frustration regarding delays in implementing the plan.

Former President Trump had cautioned Turkey against attacking Kurdish fighters in Syria and even threatened serious economic repercussions if Ankara engaged the YPG militia.