Turkish President Erdoğan has made the issue of establishing a ‘safe zone’ inside Syria a domestic political issue, linked to national security. However, given the complexities of the Syrian crisis, the differences between the United States and Turkey over the expanse of the planned safe zone, and lack of Russian and Iranian support for the plan, the chances of establishing the safe zone appears bleak.
In the light of Trump’s decision to withdraw US troops from Syria, Ankara has adopted a cautious approach towards the Syrian Kurds and has decided to take Moscow’s concerns into account before making any move in northern Syria.
Turkey's resolve to dislodge the Democratic Union Party (PYD) from Afrin, a Kurdish enclave in northern Syria adjacent to the Turkish border, will be seriously tested by the US and Russian opposition to military action against the Kurds.
The Patriot deployments signify Turkey’s attempt to secure itself and its allies against touted missile threats from the two countries with which it shares borders to the east – Syria and Iran.
Turkiye’s ‘Safe Zone’ Policy and Syrian Refugees
The border region between Turkiye and Syria continues to remain highly unstable, posing a potential risk of armed conflict.