The safe zone will be operated by a multinational force in order to separate Turkish and Kurdish forces in Syria.
US Special Envoy on Syria James Jeffrey said no Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) forces will be allowed in the upcoming safe zone between Northern Syria and Turkey, according to the Anadolu News Agency.
“But we also do not want anyone mishandling our [Syrian Democratic Forces] partners, some of whom are Kurds, so therefore we are working for a solution that will meet everybody’s needs,” he added.
Turkey’s antagonism toward the YPG was the reason for Ankara’s Operation Olive Branch in 2018, which took control of certain Kurdish territories in Syria. It is believed that the presence of US forces has kept the Turks from continuing east into the country. The US withdrawal from Syria announced by Trump in December has sparked concerns that the Kurds will be left open to a Turkish attack. The safe zone is designed to separate the two forces and alleviate Ankara’s concerns.