MESOP Syria Daily: Russia Rejects No-Fly Zones / For producing more Refugees for Europe

by Scott Lucas – 19 Februar 2016 – eaworldview – Russia has rejected any no-fly zones to protect civilians in Syria.

Speaking with Russian media on Thursday, UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said: When everyone is flying and bombing, there’s no talk of no-fly zones. Theoretically, it may be imagined that during implementation of the agreement on ceasefire, a proposal will be voiced not to use airspace, but this is purely theoretical question formulation, all the more so in conditions of our presence in Syria.

Turkey has proposed a 98-km (61-mile) safe zone, up to 40 km (25 miles) deep, in northern Syria.The US backed away from the plan, blocking any prospect of implementation. However, on Wednesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel renewed support for “something like a no-fly zone where there would be no bombings and civilians would not be subjected to pressure and murders”. She added that Russian and Assad regime airstrikes “are out of line with the spirit of the resolution adopted by the UN in December and thus efforts to reduce the level of violence”.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry declared on Thursday that Merkel’s statements were unacceptable: “[These] coincide with the demands of the Turkish authorities, which are aimed at protection of terrorist groups and feed crimes of extremists against the Syrian people.” www.mesop.de