The US could support Turkey’s efforts in Syria with military, diplomatic, and humanitarian aid, and could also offer military equipment, including perhaps Patriot missiles, said three key US diplomats Tuesday visiting southeastern Turkey, near the Syrian border.
US Ambassador to UN Kelly Craft said Syrians whom she saw are grateful to the US and Turkey, upon visiting the Altinozu refugee camp in Hatay, southeastern Turkey, near the Syrian border.
“A PERMANENT CEASEFIRE HAS TO BE ACHIEVED”
“I will give the following message when I go back to the UN Security Council: This is enough. A permanent cease-fire has to be achieved [in Syria],” said Craft. She said the Assad regime cannot go on in Syria. Craft touched on her visit to the White Helmets civil defense team in Syria, and teams working to educate Syrian children, and thanked Turkey for organizing the visits.
“The most important thing I will emphasize in the Security Council is this: We have to keep the borders open, we need to make sure humanitarian aid reaches to all who are in Syria or Turkey, displaced from their homes. That is why negotiations should start right away.”
Citing UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ call for a new border passage, Craft said maybe there should even be a third border point for the flow of humanitarian aid. “Turkey is a NATO country and uses our equipment in its army to a great extent. If they need, we would like this equipment to be ready,” James Jeffrey, the US Syria envoy and former ambassador to Turkey, told reporters while visiting camps housing refugees from Assad regime attacks.
He added, “Turkey is one of the most important counterparts of the U.S. defense industry. As President Trump said, we will support Turkey,” he said, emphasizing that the US exchanges intelligence with Turkey and supports it diplomatically.