US, Turkey continue talks on buffer zone in NE Syria – Washington

The United States continues its talks with Turkey on creating a buffer zone in northeastern Syria after the withdrawal of troops, according to the US Department of State. “We are actively engaging with Turkey on this, and that is part of our efforts to ensure a safe withdrawal of US forces and a stabilized northeast Syria,” deputy spokesperson Robert Palladino said on Tuesday. The US takes Turkey’s “legitimate security concerns” about the presence of Kurdish self-defense forces seriously, Palladino added. “We’re not going to discuss specifics on these talks, but they continue.” The spokesperson also confirmed Washington’s commitment to the pullout of US military forces from Syria. Last week, a series of meetings between US and Turkish officials took place in Washington, TASS said.