US Envoy to North-Press: SDF a Valuable Partner

Ambassador James Jeffrey, Special Representative for Syria Engagement and Special Envoy to the Global Coalition to defeat ISIS, responded to a question by “North Press” about safe zones and the dialogue between Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Turkey, “We aren’t working on a direct reconciliation between Turkey and the SDF, we are concentrating our efforts to defeat ISIS, and prevent its return to the northeast of Syria.”

“Syrian Democratic Forces are a valuable partner for us on the ground, and we understand Turkey’s concern about SDF initial relations with other Kurdish groups Turkey was afraid of, but we are now working to reach a solution that satisfies all sides”.

 

The special envoy added: “The safe zone is intended to address those opposite concerns, as it would run from the Euphrates River to the Iraqi border, it would also involve the monitoring of the situation there by the US and Turkey, the result is yet to be reached”. 

Jeffrey Stressed that the chemical weapons considered as a red line by the United States and they will target the Syrian government forces in case if they reuse them.

While the US ambassador held the Europeans the responsibility for the deteriorating conditions in the camps in North and East Syria, where IS families recently stay in, as he said that the European countries should take this issue more seriously, and take care of their citizens who came out of IS-controlled areas. 

“We cannot leave them in strongholds and camps, because it’s a great burden on Syrians in a region that still considered as a center of the war where many ISIS sleeper cells still exist,” Jeffrey added.