'Syria safe zone vital for stability, Syrians' return'

By Sibel Ugurlu</p> <p>ANKARA (AA) – Turkey’s foreign minister on Thursday said a proposed safe zone in northern Syria is important both for the country's stability and displaced Syrians' return home.</p> <p> It should emerge at upcoming talks whether Turkish and U.S. views are overlapping or not about the ideas of a Syrian safe zone, something first brought up by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the beginning of the Syria crisis, Mevlut Cavusoglu told a joint press conference with his Macedonian counterpart Nikola Dimitrov.</p> <p>&quot;The first talk about that was held between our Chief of General Staff Yasar Guler and [his U.S. counterpart] Joseph Dunford in Brussels,&quot; Cavusoglu said.</p> <p>&quot;A safe zone in northern Syria is important for stability, the return home of Syrians including our Kurdish brothers, and the fight against terrorism,&quot; he added.</p> <p>The safe zone issue was first brought to the global stage when Erdogan visited the U.S. nearly six years ago, in May 2013.</p> <p>Erdogan proposed a three-stage plan that included a no-fly zone, a safe zone for civilians, and launching a joint land operation along with coalition forces.</p> <p>A safe zone could enable all internally displaced Syrians to gather as well as civilians taking refuge in Turkey to return and settle. </p> <p>In a surprising move, U.S. President Donald Trump last month announced the withdrawal of American forces from Syria.</p> <p>Trump made the decision during a phone call with Erdogan, in which the two leaders agreed on the need for more effective coordination over the civil war-torn country.</p> <p>In a Monday phone call, Erdogan and Trump discussed the idea of establishing a terror-free safe zone in northern Syria.

ALATURKA AİLESİ ÜYELERİ NE DİYOR?