James Jeffrey, who also serves as the U.S. special envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh, and Washington's special envoy Joel Rayburn will make the April 30-May 2 trip to Ankara, where Jeffrey will lead a delegation to discuss the situation with Turkish officials, Anadolu news agency reported
The State Department said talks will include "addressing Turkey’s legitimate security concerns, promoting stability and security in northern Syria as the U.S. military draws down its presence," as well as the defeat of the IS and implementation of UN Security Council resolution 2254, which demands a cease-fire and political solution for the country.
As the U.S. continues its preparations to drawdown its presence in Syria, there are concerns about the situation in the north of Syria which is under the control of Kurdish forces and Turkey has repeatedly threatened to attack them and Washington is planning the creation o a safe zone in the region to prevent clashes between the two sides.
Jeffrey has spoken on this concern, saying earlier this month that the U.S. will continue working on an established safe zone along the Turkish-Syrian border, in which Kurdish forces would withdraw.
After visiting Turkey, the U.S. officials will travel to Geneva where they will meet with other Syria envoys from Egypt, France, Germany, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom.
In Geneva, Jeffrey and Rayburn will "discuss the latest developments in the ongoing Syrian conflict, with particular emphasis on rising violence in northwest Syria, the need for unhindered humanitarian assistance throughout the country, and further support for UN efforts to foster a Geneva-based political process," the State Department said.
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