Carving out buffer zone is a threat to stability

The Syrian government has issued a statement Thursday condemning the agreement between the US and Turkey on a buffer zone in northeastern Syria the day before, saying it amounted to a “blatant attack” on Syria’s sovereignty.

The US reached the deal with Turkey to try to keep Turkey from invading Kurdish territory, and did so by carving out a lot of Kurdish-held Syrian territory into a “buffer zone” which is meant to allow Turkey to send refugees back.

The establishment of a command center for the buffer zone suggests it is being put under direct US and Turkish joint control. That’s a problem for Syria, because it’s Syrian territory, and they’re entirely cut out of the plan.

Syrian officials say they believe the move is aggression, and a threat to Syria restoring “peace and stability” in the area, which they were ultimately likely to do with the Kurds, who will lose at least this part of their territory.