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Turkey Wants Syrian Forces to Leave Border Areas, Erdogan Aide Says

Associated Press

   ISTANBUL - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants Syrian
   government forces to move out of areas near the Turkish border so he
   can resettle up to 2 million refugees there, his spokesman told The
   Associated Press on Saturday. The request will top Erdogan's talks next
   week with Syria's ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin.

   Arrangements along the Syrian-Turkish border were thrown into disarray
   after the U.S. pulled its troops out of the area, opening the door to
   Turkey's invasion aiming to drive out Kurdish-led fighters it considers
   terrorists.

   Abandoned by their American allies, the Kurds -- with Russia's
   mediation -- invited Damascus to send troops into northeastern Syria as
   protection from Turkish forces. That has complicated Turkey's plan to
   create a "safe zone" along the border, where it can resettle Syrian
   refugees now in Turkey. Most of those refugees fled Syria's government.

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