Turkey awaits results of study by US for safe zone in Syria

 Turkey is waiting to see the outcome of an expected order by the United States President Donald Trump to work on a plan for safe zones in Syria, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Thursday, noting that Ankara has long supported the idea.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Huseyin Muftuoglu said that they have seen the president's request for conducting a study, and is keen to know the results and recommendation, adding that they "should see the content of the study and then make an assessment," local Hurriyet reported.

He recalled that from the very beginning, Turkey had advocated for establishment of safe zones in northern Syria.

The current situation in Jarablus, where Turkish army-backed Syrian rebels launched a military offensive and defeated the Islamic State (IS) members here, is a "good example" for practice of a safe zone, Muftuoglu said reminding that thousands of Syrians returned their homelands after the region was cleared from jihadist fighters.

On Wednesday, Trump said he "will absolutely do safe zones in Syria" for Syrian refugees.

The president reportedly will order the Pentagon and State Department in the coming days to prepare such a plan.

Turkey launched a military operation, Euphrates Shield, into Syria in August and backed Syrian rebels in a bid to defeat IS militants in the region.

Turkey-backed Syrian rebels controlled the area with a de facto established safe zone, with a police force composed of Syrian citizens trained and equipped by Turkey.

Elaborating on recent attacks by the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as the Nusra Front, on the members of Free Syrian Army, the spokesperson said some groups in Syria may be frustrated after Astana meeting and may be seeking to harm the ceasefire between the opposition and the Syrian regime.

source: Xinhua