page_title: Northern Syria Buffer Zone
section_title: Joint ground patrols begin
hierarchical_section_title: Northern Syria Buffer Zone / Implementation timeline / Joint ground patrols begin
caption_attribution_description: English: Photo of the first US-Turkish joint ground patrol as part of the Northern Syria Buffer Zone agreement. Two US-flagged armored vehicles lead the way as several Turkish vehicles follow. Photo taken near Tell Abyad, south of the Turkish town of Akçakale
context_page_description: The Northern Syria Buffer Zone was a temporary Syrian Civil War demilitarized zone established on the Syrian side of the Syrian-Turkish border in August 2019 to maintain security along the border and to dissuade a prospective Turkish invasion of the self-proclaimed Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. The DMZ was administered by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and their military councils and enforced by United States Armed Forces and Turkish Armed Forces personnel.
  The buffer zone collapsed in early October 2019, before it was fully implemented, when Turkey dismissed the agreement on 1 October and the United States abandoned the effort on 6 October after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of U.S. forces from northern Syria, allowing for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's planned ground incursion into the region. The subsequent Turkish offensive on 9 October rendered the buffer zone fully obsolete.
  The failed Turkish-U.S. arrangement was replaced on 22 October 2019 with the separate Second Northern Syria Buffer Zone, negotiated between Russia, Turkey and the Syrian government.
context_section_description: On 8 September, Turkish and United States Armed Forces personnel conducted their first joint ground patrol starting from the perimeter of Tell Abyad, close to the Turkish town of Akçakale. Six Turkish armored vehicles were involved in the patrol, along with several American armored vehicles, with the U.S. vehicles leading the way. The patrol headed to a Kurdish-controlled base to inspect it and to ensure that trenches and sand berms had been removed.
  The Syrian government vehemently condemned the initiation of joint patrols, stating that it viewed them as representing a flagrant violation of the country's national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
  The Turkish President expressed dissatisfaction with the buffer zone, accusing the United States of creating the buffer zone for the benefit of the YPG, instead of Turkey.
  On 10 September, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu accused the United States of "stalling" the implementation of the zone and reasserted the threat that Turkey would unilaterally invade Northern Syria, if it deemed it necessary. He further demanded that the safe zone be expanded to 32 km, rather than the 5-9-14 model being implemented at that point by the U.S. and SDF.
  On 12 September, the U.S. military was reported as considering the proposition of sending about 150 additional troops to Northern Syria in an attempt to "reduce tensions" between the SDF and Turkey. A Pentagon spokesman however stated that the U.S. "posture" in Syria would remain "unchanged".
  On 18 September, Turkish president Erdogan stated Turkey was seeking to settle 2 to 3 million refugees within the border zone (up from one million from his 5 September statement). He reiterated the repeated Turkish threat to "implement [Turkey's] own plans" if he deemed that "no results [had] come" from the deal in two weeks.
  On 19 September, the U.S. military was reported to have continued arming YPG forces, despite repeated Turkish objections. The United States Department of Defense confirmed that it was continuing to supply "tailored" arms and vehicles to the Syrian Democratic Forces in general, stating that it was providing monthly reports to Turkey as to what arms and vehicles were sent to the group.
  On 24 September, U.S. and Turkish troops conducted their second joint ground patrol within the buffer zone.
  Two Turkish Air Force F-16 jets were allowed to peacefully fly over the buffer zone area within the framework of the U.S.-led Operation Inherent Resolve.
  Turkish president Erdogan spoke before the United Nations General Assembly, stating that 3 million Syrian refugees could be resettled within the buffer zone, if it is extended all the way to Raqqa and the Syrian Government-held city of Deir ez-Zor. He also held up a map, which depicted a 30 kilometres (19 mi) deep "safety corridor" in Northern Syria - reiterating the Turkish demand for an immediate extension of the buffer zone up to 30 km.
  The Syrian Democratic Forces denounced the Turkish President's statement, considering his proposed relocation plan for 3 million refugees as a form of demographic war and 'ethnic cleansing'.
caption: The first U.S.-Turkish joint ground patrol as part of the Northern Syria Buffer Zone agreement
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