The Safe Zone: No permanent presence of Turkey, and joint patrols deployed in specific areas (Part III)

Despite carrying out the initial steps to implement the “security mechanism” for the sake of maintaining stability in north and eastern Syria, the discussions between the United States and Turkey regarding a lot of details are still going on. 

These discussions coincide with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fear of the  Turkish interference into the region, in addition to the people in the region fear of the Turkish patrols deployed in their territories.  

The area between Sere-Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) and Gre Spi (Tal Abyad) was divided into six sectors with a length of 88 km and a depth of 5 to 14 km for direct US-Turkish patrols under an agreement between the US, Turkey and SDF. 

While the depth of 14 km inside Syrian territories doesn’t include populated areas, according to Heyman Tammi, the SDF representative to the Global Coalition.  

According to Iskandar Deeb, the officer in charge of the implementation of the “security mechanism” on the Syrian-Turkish borders, “an agreement has been reached with the Turkish side on conducting a joint US-Turkish patrols, and special US forces have been allocated to the borders between Syria and Turkey, in addition to that, there will be joint aerial reconnaissance with Turkey to observe the region”.  

“However, there are details that haven’t been reached yet”, according to the US officer. 

“The discussions between the US and Turkey will continue to work on the remaining details, and the joint patrols will be expanded in phases,” he added. 

“We, as SDF, support Mr. Jeffrey’s efforts regarding the safe zone, we will withdraw our forces from the bordering area gradually and we will help the military councils in the areas where the security mechanism will be implemented, they will be able to fill the space that will result in the withdrawal of our forces”, Heyman Tammi the SDF representative to the Global Coalition told North-Press.  

“There won’t be any permanent Turkish presence in the region”, Heyman stressed. 

“We have only agreed on the joint US-Turkish patrols within the framework of the approved security mechanism areas”, he added. 

The SDF coordinator to the Global Coalition noted that they trust the expertise of the military councils’ commanders in Sere-Kaniye and Gre Spi, “and they have combat experience which they had acquired during our battles against terrorism, and they will be able to deal with any threats against their areas,” said Tammi.

“We will be close to them in the case those areas are threatened”, he confirmed.

During their meetings (last week) with the military and civilian councils of Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad, The US officials who are holding negotiations with Turkey regarding the “security mechanism” accord in northeastern Syria have confirmed that “we represent the interests of the SDF in the negotiations with Turkey for the sake of maintaining stability in the region”.  

The US officer in charge of the Syrian-Turkish borders security Iskandar Deeb said: “We will be accompanying all the Turkish patrols, i.e. they will be joint patrols between us (the US) and Turkey, the agreement which was signed between us prevents conducting the patrols by Turkey only, and doesn’t allow their presence for a permanent time in the region unless for their patrols”. 

“The first joint aerial reconnaissance between the US and Turkish commanders was carried out by a helicopter on Saturday, as a part of the initial phase of the establishment of the safe zone in Syria”, the Turkish Defense Ministry stated. 

In response, the Defense Department spokesman Commander Sean Robertson said: “The implementation of the first US-Turkish helicopter flight over northern Syria is a turning point which was resulted from the efforts made by the Joint Operations Center to coordinate the work of the establishment of the safe zone north and east of Syria”.  

On August 22, the first YPG batch withdrew from the city of Sere-Kaniye with their heavy weapons, while the second batch withdrew from the bordering village of al-Adwaniyah (35 km) west of the city of Sere-Kaniye on August 24.