Turkey and the United States resolved to establish a “safe zone” in northern Syria, the two countries said on Wednesday, August 7, after days of talks aimed at averting a Turkish military assault.

A joint statement published by the Turkish defense ministry and the US embassy in Ankara said that they had agreed on “the rapid implementation of initial measures to address Turkey’s security concerns” in the region.

The two nations pledged to set up a joint operations center in Turkey “to co-ordinate and manage the establishment of the safe zone together” and the Kurdish forces would quit the region.

None of Ankara and Washington have released the detail of the deal and many, therefore, have expressed their doubt if the deal can turn out successful.

Kurdpress, thereby, talked to Dr. Nickolas Panayiotides about the situation in the region and the details of the deal.

The head of the Geostrategic Observatory of the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean and a visiting Assistant Professor of international politics at American College (Nicosia) and Research Associate at the Center of Eastern Studies at Panteion University, Dr. Panayiotides says the deal is not a good agreement and the developments in the north of Syria has detached Russia from the Kurds.

What follows is his full answers to Kurdpress questions;

How do you consider the announcement about the establishment of a “safe zone” in northern Syria?

Essentially, there are many ambiguities surrounding the whole idea of establishing a “Safe Zone in Northern Syria, for example the depth and the length of the zone and who will control it. More specifically, the Syrian Kurds who participated indirectly in the American-Turkish negotiations seem to accept a 5 kilometers in depth zone, the Americans seem to propose one of 20 kilometers with three belts, while the Turkish side demands 30-40 km. Another issue is who will control the airspace above this zone. Moreover, another question is if the Turkish army will enter in urban areas where Kurds and other Arab tribes reside. Even worse, according to information Tayip Erdogan has threatened again to invade East of Euphrates. All these mentioned are not goods signs for an agreement on the issue, but also as regards the post-conflict management and post conflict- peace building epoch in a future, post-war Syria.

There are some news reports about Turkey negotiations with the Syrian Government and a possible deal between the two sides so that Turkey leaves Idlib for Damascus but could attach the Kurds in the north of Syria. Is it possible?

No, I do not believe something like this it is possible. Turkish-Syrian relations are in a very sad state of affairs. There are reports that a Turkish convoy heading through Idlip was attacked by Syrian and Russian air forces, while the Syrian government denounced the support that Turkish forces were about to offer “to terrorists in the town of Khan Sheikhun in Idlip province. Consequently, one can understand that these reports are unfounded.

Russia was very active regarding Syrian Kurd's activities at the beginning of the Syrian crisis but it does not seem so now, what’s the reason behind the change?

The instability in the Middle East is moving the tectonic plates eastwards in the Eurasia region bringing Turkey and Russia closer. Turkey is a pivotal state in the Eurasia region. There is a wider interdependence between Russia and Turkey in various levers, from the geopolitical to the economic and as regards the energy cooperation between the two Eurasian powers. It would be useful to remind that during the Astana Talks on August 2, Russian, Turkey and Iran declared their opposition to the “separatist” Kurds agenda in Syria. In this regard, we easily can come to the conclusion that Russia supports its ally (Syria) –and to a lesser extent -Turkey’s rejection of anything that could be consider as a threat to the territorial sovereignty of the Syrian or the Turkish State.

Some reports say that there is an unwritten agreement between Turkey and Russia and, according to it, Turkey goes out from Idlib but wants to control entire Kurdish Northern area. Is that possible?

I would not totally rule out that there are many ideas-not agreements- on such sensitive issues regarding the war-torn country but according to my opinion it is better not to make any speculation for the moment but rather wait and see what it will happen with Assad regime’s offensive against Idlip. In any case one should not neglect to take into account the American factor in Syria and the whole discussion as regards the so called “Safe Zone” in Northern Syria.

Reporter’s code: 50101