The United States and Britain are willing to "examine" the idea of setting up a "safe zone" along Turkey's border with Syria, their top diplomats said Wednesday as France supported the idea of setting up a safe zone.
"The buffer zone... is an idea that's out there, it's worth examining, it's worth looking at very, very closely," US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters. "We are at the stage of exploring this," agreed British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, adding "we'd have to explore with our other allies and partners what is meant by a safe zone, how such a concept would work. But I certainly wouldn't want to rule it out."
According to an official statement on the website of the French president, France supports the idea of setting up a safe-zone between Turkey and Syria to create a safe haven for displaced people. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke with French President Francois Hollande on Wednesday by phone.
The two leaders discussed the alarming situation in northern Syria, especially in the city of Kobani and expressed their agreement to help moderate Syrian opposition groups fighting both against the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and the Bashar Assad regime.
"[President Hollande] insisted on the need to avoid massacres in the north of Syria. He gave his support to the idea proposed by President Erdoğan to create a safe-zone between Syria and Turkey to host and protect displaced people," read the statement.
Regarding the situation in Iraq, Erdoğan reiterated Turkey's support for the efforts of the fighters involved in the struggle against ISIS. He stressed that there could be a sustainable political solution in Iraq with the full integration of the Sunni population and its representatives.
According to an official statement on the website of the French president, France supports the idea of setting up a buffer-zone between Turkey and Syria to create a safe haven for displaced people. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke with French President Francois Hollande on Wednesday by phone.
The two leaders discussed the alarming situation in northern Syria, especially in the city of Kobani and expressed their agreement to help moderate Syrian opposition groups fighting both against the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and the Bashar Assad regime.
"[President Hollande] insisted on the need to avoid massacres in the north of Syria. He gave his support to the idea proposed by President Erdoğan to create a buffer-zone between Syria and Turkey to host and protect displaced people," read the statement.
Regarding the situation in Iraq, Erdoğan reiterated Turkey's support for the efforts of the fighters involved in the struggle against ISIS. He stressed that there could be a sustainable political solution in Iraq with the full integration of the Sunni population and its representatives.