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Turkey says awaits results of U.S. study for safe zones in Syria

Xinhua, January 26, 2017 Adjust font size:

Turkey is awaiting the outcome of an anticipated order by U.S. President Donald Trump to form a safe zones plan in Syria, said the Turkish foreign ministry on Thursday.

The ministry further stressed that Ankara has long been supportive of the idea.

"We have seen the U.S. president's request for conducting a study. What's important is the result of this work and what sort of recommendations will come out from these institutions," newly appointed Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hussein Muftuoglu told reporters on Thursday. "We should see the content of the study and then make an assessment."

He added that from the very beginning, Turkey advocated the establishment of safe zones in northern Syria.

The current situation in Jarablus, where Turkish army-backed Syrian rebels launched a military offensive and defeated Islamic State (IS) militants, is a "good example" of the safe zone system, Muftuoglu said, adding that thousands of Syrians have returned home after the region was cleared of rebel fighters.

The spokesperson also dismissed claims that Turkey changed its objection against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, saying that al-Assad has no role in Syria's future.

On Wednesday, U.S. President Trump said he "will absolutely do safe zones in Syria" for Syrian refugees, and there were reports that he would order both the Pentagon and State Department in the coming days to prepare the safe zones plan. Endit