Turkey, US officials resume talks on Syria safe zone

ANKARA-Anadolu Agency

A meeting between Turkish and U.S. military officials to discuss the establishment of a safe zone in northern Syria resumed on Aug. 6 in Ankara, according to the Turkish National Defense Ministry.

The meeting started at 10:30 a.m. local time (0730GMT), the ministry said in a tweet.

Turkey expects the creation of a 20-mile (32-kilometer) safe zone in northern Syria and has stressed that it wants the YPG/PYD terror group cleared in the region.

YPG/PKK is the Syrian offshoot of terror group PKK, which has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people in Turkey, including many children, women and infants, for more than 30 years.

Ankara and Washington have yet to hammer an agreement on the safe zone.

Turkey's Foreign Ministry said Friday that Ankara has "limited" patience and if efforts to find common ground with the U.S. fail, Ankara will have to creates a safe zone in Syria on its own.