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It has been suggested that Safe zone (Syria) be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since February 2017.

Syrian Security Belt
Current situation in northern Syria   Ba'athist Syria   SDF   Islamic State   Syrian Opposition
Capital	Jarabulus
Largest city	al-Bab
Languages	Turkish Arabic Kurdish
Government	Military occupation
Areas under Safe Zone administration
• Intervention	24 August 2016
Currency	Syrian pound Turkish lira

The Turkish occupation of northern Syria, also known as the North Aleppo Border Pocket, the Northern Syria Security Belt,, or the Safe Zone, refers to areas captured since August 2016 by the Turkish military or Turkish-backed Syrian Turkmen and Arab forces during the Syrian Civil War. Turkish-occupied Syria consists of a 1,620 square kilometre area which includes around 217 settlements including al-Bab, Azaz, Dabiq and Jarabulus. This territory was previously controlled by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and the Syrian Democratic Forces.

Background

2013-14 proposals for Safe Zone

Turkey and Syrian opposition proposed a safe zone that includes some regions of northern Syria in 2013, however United States and the other Western states was not willing to accept these plans. After the advancements of ISIL in Iraq, Turkey and United States negotiated 'safe zone', while USA accepted 'ISIL-free zone', US officials were reluctant to accept a no fly zone.

European support

After the attacks of ISIL in Syrian Kurdistan, tens of thousands non-Sunnis, Christians and Yazidis fled to Turkey. In the beginning of 2015, refugees has begun to cross Turkish-Greek border and escaped to European countries. These huge refugee flows caused taking a re-consideration to create a safe zone for civilians in Syria. In February 2016, Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel said, "In the current situation it would be helpful if there could be such an area where none of the parties are allowed to launch aerial attacks – that is to say, a kind of no-fly zone".

Us-Turkish negotiations

The safe zone in Syria had not been created by early 2016 because of disagreements between US and Turkish governments, mainly on the initial actor to be eliminated in Syria. Turkey wanted the Bashar Al-Assad regime to be gone as soon as possible while US says the war against ISIS in the main objective of US policies in Syria.

The content of the safe zone was another reason of the disagreement between US and Turkish governments. According to Turkey, the safe zone must include no fly zone, but the US rejected any possibility to establish a no-fly zone. Turkey supported the involvement of Syrian opposition forces in the region after ISIS eliminated. However, the US was reluctant against Syrian opposition for they include many radical Islamist elements.

According to Turkey, YPG is considered as a threat because of its strong ties with PKK. On the other hand, US says PKK is a terrorist organisation but YPG is a different actor and one of the main allies of US in the war against ISIS. For US, the exclusion of YPG from safe zone areas may cause to a big gap for the fight against radical factors.

The other debate is about the name of the safe zone. Turkey calls the zone as 'safe zone from ISIS, Syrian regime and YPG'. However, US declared they will only accept 'ISIS-free zone'. US has not make any declaration about the possible involvement of Syrian regime to the region.

Turkish safe zone geography

Places between Azaz and al-Rai, Syria like Kafr Kalbin, Kafrah, Sawran, Ihtaymilat, Dabiq, Barih, Kafr Elward, Ghoz, Ghaytun, Akhtarin, Baruza, Tall Tanah, Kaljibrin, Qebbet al-Turkmen, Al-Ghandurah, Arab Hassan Sabghir, Mahsenli, and Halwanji have been included to the safe zone. In addition, Erdogan said, "They will leave Manbij. They will to go east of the Euphrates River. If not, we will do what is needed".

International reactions to Trump's safe zone proposals

During and after his campaign, Trump proposed establishing safe zones in Syria as an alternative to Syrian refugees' immigration to the US. In the past "safe zones" have been interpreted as establishing, among other things, no-fly zones over Syria. During the Obama administration Turkey encouraged the US to establish safe zones; the Obama administration was concerned about the potential for pulling the US into a war with Russia. Although safe zones were not in the final version of Trump's controversial Executive Order 13769, an earlier draft leaked several days before would have required the US to create a plan for safe zones in Syria.

On January 30, the Saudi government informed Trump that it supported the creation of safe zones in Syria and Yemen. Two days later, on February 2, Trump discussed safe zones with the government of Jordan. On February 3 the U.S. secured Lebanon's backing for safe zones in Syria. On February 1 Russia asked the U.S. to be more specific on its safe-zone plan and expressed hope the U.S. would discuss it with Russia before implementation. On February 3 the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees opposed safe zones. On February 10, Syrian President Bashar Assad, while welcoming a notion that U.S. troops might fight alongside Syria, rejected the proposal for safe zones as "not a realistic idea at all". Turkey unveiled a new proposal for safe zones to Sunni Arab states meeting February 13 in Bahrain.

International reaction

UN member states

•  Azerbaijan - Qənirə Paşayeva, member of parliament, said on 3 September that Turkey would have an obligation to protect the civilians in northern Syria from terror groups and would have the right to protect itself from the attacks originating from Syria with the intervention.
•  Cyprus - The Cyprus House of Representatives on 9 September unanimously adopted a resolution condemning "the unacceptable invasion of Turkey into Syria, under the pretext of war against terrorism." It also called on the international community to demand Turkey's withdrawal from Syria.
•  Iran - Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi on 31 August urged Ankara to quickly wrap up its military intervention in Syria, saying it was an "unacceptable" violation of Syrian sovereignty.

Other

•  Rojava - the Shahba region civilian council condemned the occupation of Jarabulus as a Turkish attempt to expand into Syria, likening it to the Battle of Marj Dabiq and suggesting that Jarabulus would become a "grave for the criminal occupier Erdoğan and his mercenaries".
•  Syrian opposition The Forces of Martyr Ahmad al-Abdo, part of the Free Syrian Army's Southern Front, stated in an interview that if safe zones are used to "divide Syria so terrorist organizations would emerge", the rebel group would "certainly reject them" and will "fight against them". However, the group's commander also stated that if safe zones are used to support internally displaced persons in Syria, then he "will support them".

See also

• Safe Zone (Syria)
• Turkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War
  • Turkey-IS conflict (2013-present)
  • Military intervention (2016-present)
• Hatay Province

References

3. "Turkey PM 'will support' Syria no-fly zone". Retrieved 31 May 2016.
4. "Syrian opposition calls for no-fly zone". Retrieved 31 May 2016.
5. Tisdall, Simon (27 July 2015). "Syrian safe zone: US relents to Turkish demands after border crisis grows". Retrieved 31 May 2016.
6. "DIPLOMACY - US and Turkey agree to forge 'ISIL-free zone' in Syria, official confirms". Retrieved 31 May 2016.
7. "Solution to refugee crisis is to end Syria's civil war, UN official says". Retrieved 31 May 2016.
8. Wintour, Patrick (16 February 2016). "Turkey revives plan for safe zone in Syria to stem flow of refugees". Retrieved 31 May 2016.
9. http://www.washingtontimes.com, The Washington Times. "U.S. reluctance to arm Syrian rebels may embolden Assad". Retrieved 31 May 2016. {{cite web}}: External link in |last= (help)
10. "National Security Zone". Retrieved 31 May 2016.
11. "Fight against IS helps PKK gain global legitimacy - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East". 16 September 2014. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
12. "U.S. denies reaching agreement with Turkey on Syria 'safe zone'". 11 August 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2016 – via Reuters.
13. Suzan Fraser, Turkish leader threatens more involvement on Syrian border, The Washington Post, October 26 at 3:01 PM
14. "Trump says he will order 'safe zones' for Syria". January 25, 2017.
15. "Saudis tell Trump they support safe zones for refugees in Syria". Financial Times.
16. "The Latest: Sanders says Trump may be right about his voters". Tulsa World. February 2, 2017 – via Associated Press. President Donald Trump and the king of Jordan have discussed with the possibility of establishing safe zones for refugees in Syria.
17. "Lebanon backs returning Syrian refugees to 'safe zones'". U.S. News and World Report. February 3, 2017.
18. "Russia says Trump should be more specific on Syria safe zones plan". Reuters. February 1, 2017.
19. Francis, Ellen (February 3, 2017). "UNHCR chief says safe zones would not work in Syria". Reuters.
20. Fraser, Susan; Isachenkov, Vladimir (February 10, 2017). "Assad Says US Troops Welcome in Syria to Fight 'Terrorism'". Ankara, Turkey and Moscow, Russia: New York Times – via The Associated Press.
21. Sly, Liz (February 13, 2017). "Turkey's Erdogan wants to establish a safe zone in the ISIS capital Raqqa". Beirut: Washington Post. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
22. sitesi, milliyet.com.tr Türkiye'nin lider haber. "AZERBAYCAN MİLLETVEKİLİ PAŞAYEVA:". MİLLİYET HABER – TÜRKİYE'NİN HABER SİTESİ. Retrieved 2016-09-20.
23. "Cyprus House condemns Turkey's invasion of Syria". Famagusta Gazette. 9 September 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
24. "Iran urges Turkey to quickly end Syria intervention". France24. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
25. "Kurdish-backed council says Turkey's intervention to make Syrian town "grave for Erdoğan troops"". ARA News. 26 August 2016.
26. Ahmad Zakaryya (10 February 2017). "Ahmad Al-Abdo Forces: "We Refuse Having Safe Zones If The Intent Is To Divide Syria"". RFS Media Office.

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v t e Foreign relations of the Syrian Opposition
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• Articles to be merged from February 2017
• Turkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War
• States and territories established in 2016
• History of Turkey
• History of Syria
• 2016 in Turkey
• 2016 in Syria
• 2017 in Turkey
• 2017 in Syria
• Syria–Turkey relations
• Military occupation
• Military history of Turkey