PHOTO: Turkish Foreign Minister Mehmet Çavuşoğlu


Clarifying recent remarks, Turkey’s Foreign Minister has indicated that Ankara and the US are still debating over a no-fly zone in northwest Syria.

Mehmet Çavuşoğlu’s remarks on Tuesday implied that safe havens, pushed by Turkey since last autumn, are still a distant prospect. One of the key issues appeared to be the provision of air support for the ground operations.

See also Turkey Daily, Oct 16: Ankara Proposes Safe Havens in Syria from Mediterranean to Iraq Border

“Before everything else, those we have equipped and trained need to enter through a secure area. Expecting them to enter from an area under control of Daesh [the Islamic State] would be wrong,” Çavuşoğlu said. He continued:

Where is more secure? U.S. and Turkish soldiers and intelligence units have been assessing this.

The second issue is providing protection for these persons; especially aerial protection. Whether it would be [in the form of] warning or something else, these are being technically studied.

Turkey agreed with the US in February to train and equip up to 15,000 Syrians under a $500 million American program adopted last autumn. However, the first fighters — who were supposed to begin training in late March in Turkey and Qatar — are still awaiting instruction.

A State Department official also dampened expectations last week over protected areas, “No-fly zones, safe havens, just are not happening.”

See Syria Feature: Senior US Official “No-Fly Zones, Safe Havens Are Not Happening”

The Foreign Minister had said, in remarks printed over the weekend, that the US and Turkey had agreed “in principle” to give air support to some rebel forces.

“They have to be supported via air. If you do not protect them or provide air support, what is the point?” Çavuşoğlu said. “There is a principle agreement on providing air support. How it is going to be provided is the responsibility of the army.”

Questioned about the remarks, a US defense official responded, “We’re in ongoing discussions with the Turks across all lines of counter-ISIL [Islamic State] efforts. Our understanding is no decisions have been made.”