Turkey, US hold 2nd safe zone joint patrols in N.Syria

By Mehmet Fatih Aslan and Muslum Etgu

SANLIURFA, Turkey (AA) - U.S. and Turkish troops conducted their second joint ground patrol on Tuesday within a planned safe zone in northern Syria, along the Syrian-Turkish border.

A convoy of four armored Turkish Armed Forces vehicles in the southeastern Sanliurfa province crossed the border and met with a U.S. military convoy to join the joint land patrol.

The Turkish and U.S. forces are set to conduct a land patrol in the Syrian town of Tal Abyad.

U.S. and Turkish troops conducted their joint ground patrol for the zone on Sept. 9.

On Aug. 7, Turkish and U.S. military officials agreed to set up a safe zone in northern Syria and develop a peace corridor to facilitate the movement of displaced Syrians who want to return home. They also agreed to establish a joint operations center.

Turkey has long championed the idea of terrorist-free safe zones in Syria. It has stressed ridding the area of the terrorist YPG/PKK, the Syrian branch of the PKK, as well as resettling Syrian migrants currently sheltered in Turkey.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of some 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.

*Writing by Erdogan Cagatay Zontur