Turkey has revived its proposal for a safe zone inside Syria, saying it could be extended as far as 10km into the country and help prevent hundreds of thousand of refugees crossing the border as they flee a Russian-backed advance.



Turkey claims the plan has the support of the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, but it would require US involvement.

The US has rejected any safe zone inside Syria on the basis that it would require a no-fly zone, which might lead to conflict with Russian jets in the skies above Syria.

Turkey is concerned that all physical links between it and anti-Assad rebels in northern Syria could be broken if the area between Azaz and Tal Rifaat falls to either Kurdish or Syrian government forces.

The Turkish deputy prime minister, Numan Kurtulmuş, has claimed as many as 600,000 refugees could flood over the border if the aerial bombardment continues.

The area is being captured largely by the Kurdish YPG, which Turkey regards as a terrorist organisation. Turkey has even claimed the YPG is now working in collusion with the Russians, even though the Kurdish militia have been given support by the US to fight Islamic State.

Kurds carve out new reality in northern Syria Read more

Turkey has been touting the idea of a no-fly zone for over a year, but Merkel on Monday injected new energy into the plan saying after talks with Turkish leaders that a no-fly zone would be helpful. “In the current situation it would be helpful if there could be such an area where none of the parties are allowed to launch aerial attacks – that is to say, a kind of no-fly zone,” she said.

Merkel said that it was impossible to negotiate with terrorists from the Islamic State, “but if it’s possible for the anti-Assad coalition and the Assad supporters to come to an agreement, that would be helpful”.

Turkish officials tried to capitalise on Merkel’s support on Tuesday. “We want a ground operation with our international allies,” an official said. “There is not going to be a unilateral military operation from Turkey to Syria, [but] without a ground operation it is impossible to stop the fighting in Syria.

“We are asking the coalition partners that there should be a ground operation.”

Barack Obama most recently rejected a safe zone at the November G20 summit in Antalya, Turkey. “A true safe zone requires us to set up ground operations,” he said.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Russian Sukhoi Su-25 fighter jets taking off from the Hmeymim air base near Latakia, Syria. Photograph: Reuters

“Who would come in, who could come out of that safe zone? How would it work?Would it become a magnet for further terrorist attacks? How many personnel would be required and how would it end?”

The idea, however, has the support of Hillary Clinton, the former US secretary of state and frontrunner for the Democratic party presidential nomination.

It is not clear if Merkel is now supporting a safe zone, knowing it will not win Nato support, but she is at least looking as if she is sympathetic to Ankara’s demands.

“I can totally understand Turkish politicians reproaching us Europeans for not being able to explain not taking refugees in Europe while at the same time urging them to keep their Turkish borders open for further needy Syrian refugees,” she said.

Russia has shown no interest in curtailing airstrikes, and does not believe the agreement reached with the International Syrian Support group in Munich last week requires it to do so.

The Russian deputy foreign minister, Gennady Gatilov, told the German magazine Der Spiegel: “Airstrikes on terrorist groups’ facilities will be continued in any case, even if the Syrian ceasefire agreement is reached. Because the point is that this ceasefire should apply to those who are really interested in the beginning of the negotiating process, and not to the terrorists.”