On August 7, Turkey and the United States agreed to set up a security mechanism in northern and eastern Syria, and began to conduct joint patrols on 8 September.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused the United States of “obstructing the implementation of an agreement to establish a safe area in northern Syria.” “Yes, there are some joint patrols, but otherwise the steps that have been taken or said to have been taken are merely cosmetic.”
In response, Pentagon spokesman Sean Robertson told Al-Hurra that the United States has taken serious steps “to implement the security mechanism provisions regarding the initial understanding with Ankara at a rapid pace and in some cases ahead of schedule.”
Robertson added that there were some problems in the implementation, and that the Pentagon is still discussing with the Turks.
The Pentagon believes that dialogue and coordinated action are the only way to secure the border area in a sustainable way, ensure the campaign continues in the global coalition’s efforts to defeat ISIS, and limit any uncoordinated military operations that undermine this common interest.
