Turkey calls on US, allies to reconsider Syria no-fly zone

ANKARA, Turkey – Turkey’s president has called on the United States and other nations to re-assess his country’s proposal for the creation of a no-fly zone in northern Syria.

Addressing a NATO parliamentary assembly meeting in Istanbul on Monday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan again criticized allies’ reliance on Syrian Kurdish fighters to battle the Islamic State group. Turkey considers the U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters an extension of outlawed Kurdish militants in Turkey.

Although Turkey has repeatedly called for secure zones to protect Syrians, Washington has been unwilling to wade too deeply into the conflict.

Erdogan said: “I hope that in the upcoming process, this will be reassessed especially by the United States and positive steps will be taken so that terrorism’s back is broken and Turkey is rid of the threat of terrorism.”