Turkey accused the United States on Tuesday of taking only “cosmetic steps” toward the creation of a so-called “safe zone” in northeast Syria and renewed Ankara’s threat of unilateral military intervention to form a buffer area along its border.
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told journalists that Washington was too strongly involved with U.S.-allied PKK/YPG and was stalling on plans for the safe zone.
Turkey has been pressing for the zone to keep the terrorists away from the border.
“We are speaking about an ally who cannot act independently from the terror organization,” Cavusoglu said, referring to the U.S. “While on one side, it is taking cosmetic steps with us, on the other side, it is strengthening its engagement with” PKK/YPG.
He was referring to recent joint Turkish-U.S. helicopter patrols of the planned safe zone region, as well as a joint ground forces patrol that took place on Sunday. U.S. troops on Saturday also conducted patrols with the local Syrian Kurdish-led forces, which annoyed Turkey.
“Turkey’s plans are ready,” Cavusoglu said. “To clear this region of terrorists is a matter of national security.”