The Defense Ministers of NATO countries are discussing a German proposal to establish an international security zone in the border area between Syria and Turkey. The plan, put forward by German minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, would involve sending a UN peacekeeping force to northern Syria.
NATO chief Stoltenberg says he has discussed the plan with the German minister. The Netherlands is not immediately enthusiastic. The Americans say they would appreciate European countries doing more in the region, but that Americans themselves do not want to send troops. How large the peacekeeping mission should be has not yet been clarified by the German minister.
Stoltenberg acknowledges that the situation is complex but points to the strength of the cooperation that NATO as a whole has and the successes achieved through the organization. There have also been talks on various levels about this topic with the Turks.
It is also not yet clear whether such a European or international mission should replace the current Turkish-Russian operation in northern Syria, which is aimed at expelling Kurdish militias.
The European Parliament has called for sanctions and visa bans for Turkish officials responsible for human rights violations in northern Syria. In a resolution, the parliamentarians also request considering economic sanctions against Turkey and suspending trade privileges for Turkish agricultural products.
The European Parliament in Strasbourg strongly condemns the Turkish military intervention and advocates for a security zone in northern Syria under United Nations supervision. The parliament rejects the Turkish plans to establish a "so-called security zone" at the northeastern border and fears a "legalized Turkish occupation" of this zone. It also points to the danger of a revival of ISIS, given reports of hundreds of escaped Syrian fighters.