No safe-zone discussed during Dempsey's visit

A humanitarian safe zone inside Syria was not on the agenda of the top U.S. general's Sept. 17 talks with Turkish officials, although it was noted in a Turkish presentation, according to his staff. Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey held separate talks in Ankara with Chief of General Staff Gen. Necdet Ozel, Defense Minister Ismet Yılmaz and the Foreign Ministry undersecretary, Ambassador Feridun Sinirlioğlu Sept. 17. The issue of a humanitarian safe zone did not come up specifically, according to Col. David Lapan, chief spokesman for Dempsey, Foreign Policy magazine's "Situation Report" reported Sept. 18, noting that Lapan's response was received while he was still in Turkey. Dempsey and the accompanying delegation left Ankara on Sept. 18."There was a general discussion of cooperative planning on humanitarian issues, on [chemical and biological weapons] and on air defense," Lapan wrote from Turkey. "There was extensive discussion on sharing lessons learned about intelligence and operations fusion related to their fight against the PKK [the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party]." Turkey has repeatedly complained that it is not receiving enough international assistance for the Syrian refugees and has pushed for the creation of a foreign-protected "safe zone" inside Syria to try to help civilians on the other side of the border. The plan met with little enthusiasm from world powers at a U.N. Security Council meeting in late August.