 "Have ruled out plans to create Syria no-fly zone: US")
The US has ruled out any plans to create a 'no-fly zone' over Syria as of now, brushing aside reports that the White House is in talks with Turkey in this regard.
"As it relates to the specific no-fly zone proposal, we've made pretty clear on a number of occasions that we're open to discussing a range of options with the Turks, But at this point, we don't believe that a no-fly zone fits the bill here," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest, said here yesterday.
"So these talks are ongoing and we're going to continue to be open to proposals from our allies in Turkey. We certainly value their opinion on matters like this, but we do not believe that a specific no-fly-zone proposal at this point would best serve the interests that we've all identified in terms of trying to resolve the situation in Syria," he said.
Earnest said that Turkey has a significant vested interest in the resolution of the situation and in the turmoil along their border.
"They do have this long border with Syria. That border has been the site of skirmishes already."
"That border is also an area where there's a significant humanitarian need. There are hundreds of thousands - I think maybe even more than a million people now - have been fleeing violence in Syria, that have fled to the border with Turkey to try to avoid violence, and that's created a pretty terrible humanitarian situation there," Earnest said.
He said the Turkish government deserves to be recognised for the significant resources and effort that they've made to try to meet those basic humanitarian needs.
"They've done that with the full support of the international community, including the United States of America, that continues to be the largest source of bilateral assistance to try to meet the humanitarian situation that's been caused by the violence in Syria," Earnest said.
He said the Obama Administration has been concerned for a number of years now about the urgent humanitarian situation that exists in the region, that there are millions of innocent Syrians who have fled their country because of the violence that's taking place there, and that means that there are some Syrian families who are living in terrible conditions.
"We are very concerned about the humanitarian situation there.
"Part of the international coalition that the US has built to respond to this situation as it relates to ISIL has involved specific members of that coalition making financial commitments to address the humanitarian situation there, and this is something that the president has talked about in a variety of settings, including on one-on-one meetings with world leaders," Earnest added.
"As it relates to the specific no-fly zone proposal, we've made pretty clear on a number of occasions that we're open to discussing a range of options with the Turks, But at this point, we don't believe that a no-fly zone fits the bill here," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest, said here yesterday.
"So these talks are ongoing and we're going to continue to be open to proposals from our allies in Turkey. We certainly value their opinion on matters like this, but we do not believe that a specific no-fly-zone proposal at this point would best serve the interests that we've all identified in terms of trying to resolve the situation in Syria," he said.
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Since the civil war erupted in Syria in early 2011, there have been repeated calls for a no-fly zone to protect the rebels and refugees.
Earnest said that Turkey has a significant vested interest in the resolution of the situation and in the turmoil along their border.
"They do have this long border with Syria. That border has been the site of skirmishes already."
"That border is also an area where there's a significant humanitarian need. There are hundreds of thousands - I think maybe even more than a million people now - have been fleeing violence in Syria, that have fled to the border with Turkey to try to avoid violence, and that's created a pretty terrible humanitarian situation there," Earnest said.
He said the Turkish government deserves to be recognised for the significant resources and effort that they've made to try to meet those basic humanitarian needs.
"They've done that with the full support of the international community, including the United States of America, that continues to be the largest source of bilateral assistance to try to meet the humanitarian situation that's been caused by the violence in Syria," Earnest said.
He said the Obama Administration has been concerned for a number of years now about the urgent humanitarian situation that exists in the region, that there are millions of innocent Syrians who have fled their country because of the violence that's taking place there, and that means that there are some Syrian families who are living in terrible conditions.
"We are very concerned about the humanitarian situation there.
"Part of the international coalition that the US has built to respond to this situation as it relates to ISIL has involved specific members of that coalition making financial commitments to address the humanitarian situation there, and this is something that the president has talked about in a variety of settings, including on one-on-one meetings with world leaders," Earnest added.