Turkey to Initiate Own Plan If No Results Come from Safe Zone Deal with US, Says Erdoğan

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Turkey will initiate its own plans after two weeks if no results come from Turkey-US safe zone deal, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said.

Erdoğan's remarks came at a ceremony opening the 2019-2020 academic year for higher education at the Beştepe National Congress and Culture Center at the Presidential Complex in Ankara.

Referring to an agreement between Turkey and the US on the establishment of a safe zone in northern Syria to enable displaced Syrians to return, Erdoğan said: "Two or three million Syrian refugees in Turkey and Europe can be resettled in the safe zone east of Euphrates in northern Syria."

Underlining Turkey's expectation for "more concrete support" from European countries on Syria's Idlib and the safe zone east of Euphrates, he said: "Turkey does not need words anymore."

"Turkey is hosting an unprecedented 3.6 million refugees. Then, the West needed to do the same," Erdoğan said and added: "Turkey can't shoulder the responsibility of 4 million Syrians if we do not keep peace in Idlib immediately."

On August 7, Turkey and the US agreed to set up a safe zone in northern Syria and develop a peace corridor to facilitate the movement of displaced Syrians who want to return home. They also agreed to establish a joint operations center.

Turkey has accused the US of dragging its feet and having a different concept for the safe zone. (EMK/VK)