ISTANBUL — A Turkish military offensive against Syrian Kurdish fighters appeared to be averted as the United States and Turkey announced Wednesday that they had agreed to “address Turkish security concerns” and work together on the establishment of a safe zone in northern Syria.
But statements released by the two governments, using virtually identical language, contained little detail about what exactly had been agreed upon. Critically, the statements, released by the U.S. Embassy in Ankara and Turkey’s Defense Ministry, did not say whether the thorniest issue — the size and complexion of the safe zone — had been resolved.
The Trump administration had worked furiously in recent weeks to head off a Turkish offensive against a U.S.-backed force in Syria that had led the ground offensive against the Islamic State militant group. The force controls large swaths of territory along the Syrian-Turkish border and is dominated by Syrian Kurdish fighters, whom Turkey considers a threat to its own security.
The threat of Turkish military action came after months of haggling over the establishment of a “safe zone” that would push the Syrian Kurdish fighters back from the border. Over U.S. objections, Turkey had argued for a larger safe zone and for sole Turkish control over the area.
