American presence in Syria serves US national security: US diplomat to North Press
WASHINGTO, US (North Press) – The US presence in northeast Syria serves the US national security, Joel Rayburn, former US Special Envoy for Syria, said.
In an exclusive statement to North Press, Rayburn said, Washington and Ankara have no choice but dialogue and understanding to resolve differences over the US presence in Syria and on the final political settlement, which has become an urgent need in light of the impossibility of returning the situation in Syria to before 2011.
“There will be no large-scale Turkish attack on the Syrian Democratic Forces-held areas, as Washington is keen to avoid the region further security collapse, while working to preclude any armed military clashes between the Turkish and American armies on Syrian territory,” Rayburn expected.
“The American presence in Syria serves the American national security, and therefore most American lawmakers agree to continue maintaining it, taking into consideration the large movements of ISIS in Syria and Iraq, which confirm that the organization is still exist,” Rayburn added.
Earlier today, the US President Joe Biden and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan met for about 55 minutes on the sidelines of the final day of the G20 Summit in Rome.
The White House issued a statement on the two leaders’ meeting, in which it stressed Washington’s desire to maintain constructive relations, expand areas of cooperation, and manage disagreements effectively with Turkey.
The statement added, Biden and Erdogan also discussed the political process in Syria, humanitarian assistance for Afghans, elections in Libya, the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, and diplomatic efforts in the South Caucasus.
“Biden raised some controversial issues between the two countries, such as the issue of the Russian S-400 missile system, the issue of human rights and the rule of law in Turkey, and the importance of preserving democratic institutions in Turkey,” the statement added.