Erdogan: Turkey will not allow Syria safe zone that will turn into ‘swamp’

Erdogan says Turkey will establish a 20-mile (some 30-kilometer) deep "safe zone" in northern Syria following discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump. (AP/Burhan Ozbilici)

• Erdogan said Turkey would work with anyone willing to provide it with logistic support for the planned safe zone
• US President Donald Trump confounded his own national security team with a surprise decision last month to withdraw all 2,000 US troops from Syria

ANKARA: Turkey will never allow the implementation of a safe zone in Syria that will turn into “a swamp” like in northern Iraq, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday, referring to an area where Kurdish militants have operations.
Speaking at an event in Ankara, Erdogan said Turkey would work with anyone willing to provide it with logistic support for the planned safe zone, but added that it would take steps in Syria if promises made to Ankara weren’t kept.
US President Donald Trump confounded his own national security team with a surprise decision last month to withdraw all 2,000 US troops from Syria. Since then, Trump and Erdogan have discussed a safe zone which Turkey would set up in Syria along the length of their border.