Germany: AKK pushes for 'internationally-monitored safe zone' in northern Syria

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SOT, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, German Minister of Defence (German): "I explained once again why I think that it is important that we get an internationally-monitored safe zone. At the moment, we are experiencing a situation in northern Syria, in which not everyone can be satisfied. People are being killed, people are being expelled, the pictures are going all around the world and in my view, the agreement made in Sochi only brings two positives: firstly, that the ceasefire will be continued and secondly, that the constitutional process will not be abandoned. However, the fact remains, that a region of a country has been annexed in breach of international law, Turkey's reported security interests are neither here nor there."
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SOT, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, German Minister of Defence (German): "First of all, it is about getting a political agreement. It is aimed at the fact that, as signaled by the French President, the German Chancellor and also the British Prime Minister, we want to meet collectively and also with the Turkish President to talk about this situation. Certainly, the Russians will play a key role, that means that there could be some time still until we arrive at a political agreement but it was important for me that we weren't just spectators, but that we also become active ourselves and everything from that point, whether we are successful, is dependent on what is produced here with the community in the United Nations."
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SOT, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, German Minister of Defence (German): "In this past week, it has been very important to me that we have a momentum. At the start of the week, we had the ceasefire for two days, then there were the conversations between Putin and Erdogan, on Thursday and Friday we have conversations with all colleagues, we have tomorrow, well today and tomorrow, a debate in the European Parliament on a resolution in Northern Syria and then deliberation, first of all we must try and get everything to be voted on, that is perhaps the temporal momentum in the situation."
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SCRIPT
German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer argued for an internationally monitored safe zone in northern Syria during a visit of a military base in the German city of Erfurt on Wednesday.
"I think that it is important that we get an internationally-monitored safe zone. At the moment, we are experiencing a situation in northern Syria, in which not everyone can be satisfied. People are being killed, people are being expelled, the pictures are going all around the world," she said. "The fact remains, that a region of a country has been annexed in breach of international law, Turkey's reported security interests are neither here nor there."
The minister, also known as AKK, added that the leaders of France, the UK and Germany would like to have collective talks with Turkey.
"Certainly, the Russians will play a key role, that means that there could be some time still until we arrive at a political agreement but it was important for me that we weren't just spectators," she added.
Turkey's military offensive in northern Syria, dubbed 'Operation Peace Spring,' began on October 9, days after the White House announced the withdrawal of US troops from the area. Turkey agreed to suspend operations for a five-day ceasefire on October 17 to let Kurdish-led forces withdraw, following talks in Ankara between Erdogan and US Vice President Mike Pence.