Turkish, US Officials Meet for Talks

ISTANBUL (AP) -- Turkish and American military officials have met for negotiations about establishing a safe zone in northeastern Syria to address Ankara's concerns about U.S-allied Syrian Kurdish forces in that region.

The Turkish defense ministry tweeted on Monday that the meetings were taking place in Ankara.

Turkey wants to control — in coordination with the U.S. — a 19-25 mile-deep zone within Syria, east of the Euphrates River, and wants no Syrian Kurdish forces there. Turkey sees the Syrian Kurdish fighters as terrorists aligned with a Kurdish insurgency within Turkey.

American troops are stationed in northeastern Syria, along with the Kurdish forces, and have fought the Islamic State group together.

Turkish-U.S. negotiations on the safe zone have stalled and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday renewed threats for a new military operation.

(KR)