Syria allows humanitarian aid into seven besieged areas
UNSC criticizes Turkey’s strikes in northern Syria
Russia and United States to meet on Syria ceasefire this week
At least 15 civilians dead in Syria coalition air raids
Deputy PM says Turkey wants secure zone 10 km within Syria
Syria allows humanitarian aid into seven besieged areas
The UN said on Tuesday that Syria has agreed to allow access for humanitarian aid to besieged areas. “So far I understand that the government of Syria has approved access to seven besieged areas,” said Vanessa Huguenin, spokeswoman for the UN Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The areas involved are Deir Ezzor, Fuaa and Kafraya in Idlib, and Madaya, Zabadani, Kafr Batna and Moadamiya in rural Damascus, she said. Damascus gave the green light to the aid convoys after the UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura visited the capital on Tuesday. The United Nations and other aid agencies said they would begin delivering about 100 trucks of desperately needed food and supplies to besieged areas of Syria on Wednesday. “It is clear it is the duty of the government of Syria to want to reach every Syrian person wherever they are and allow the UN to bring humanitarian aid,” de Mistura said earlier in after his meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem. “Tomorrow we test this.” [AFP, Reuters, WSJ, NYT, BBC, Al Jazeera, 2/17/2016]
On Tuesday, the UN Security Council criticized Turkey for its strikes into northern Syria that are fueling fears of a serious escalation. As a rapid advance of US-backed Kurdish fighters seized new ground in northern Syria on Tuesday, Turkey fired artillery from across the border to try to halt their advances in northern Syria. “All members of the Security Council agreed to ask Turkey to comply with international law,” said UN Ambassador Rafael Dario Ramirez Carreno, president of the Security Council for February. The 15-member council discussed Turkey’s military action at the request of Russia, which is waging an air war in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad. Kurdish militias are taking advantage of Russian air strikes to seize territory near the Turkish border, which has infuriated Ankara and threatened to drive a wedge between NATO allies. [Reuters, AFP, WSJ, 2/17/2016]
Russia and United States to meet on Syria ceasefire this week
The Russian foreign ministry said Russian and US military officials will take part in the first meeting on Friday of a working group to discuss implementation of a ceasefire in Syria. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov added that decisions on a no-fly zone over Syria are not possible without agreement of the Syrian government and the United Nations. “The implementation of the agreement reached in Munich on a peaceful resolution in Syria has already begun,” Gatilov said. [Reuters, 2/17/2016]
At least 15 civilians dead in Syria coalition air raids
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said, “at least 15 civilians were killed and 20 wounded in coalition air strikes on al-Shadadi,” in the northeastern province of Hasaka controlled by the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL), adding that the death toll was likely to rise. German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday described the humanitarian situation in Syria as “intolerable” and reiterated her call for a no-fly zone to protect civilians. [AFP, 2/16/2016]
Deputy PM says Turkey wants secure zone 10 km within Syria
Turkey wants a secure strip of territory 10 kilometers deep on the Syrian side of its border, including the town of Azaz, to prevent attempts to “change the demographic structure” of the area, Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan said on Wednesday. Kurdish forces took advantage of the violence in northern Syria to seize territory from Syrian rebels, and Turkey has accused the Kurdish militia of pursuing “demographic change” by forcibly displacing Turkmen and Arab communities. The proposal has so far gained little traction with Washington or NATO allies who fear it would require an internationally patrolled no-fly zone which could put them in direct confrontation with Assad and his allies. Despite German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s support for the plan, Turkey has repeatedly criticized the United States for not backing the proposal. Ankara ultimately fears the creation of an independent Kurdish state occupying contiguous territories currently belonging to Iraq, Syria and Turkey. [Reuters, AP, 2/17/2017]