There are eight possible political, economic and security gains to be made from establishing safe zones in northern Syria, which would contribute to stability and improve the economic situation in those areas, experts said.
Experts spoke to Anadolu Agency (AA) about these gains that include security, stability, territorial integrity, eliminating the threat of separatist terrorism, providing the necessary materials, and improving agriculture and the economy.
These gains also encourage the voluntary safe return of Syrians, reconstruction, ensuring the security of neighboring countries, empowering the Syrians and strengthening their hand in international negotiations by improving the local position.
The safe zones in Syria are the areas of the Euphrates Shield, Olive Branch, Peace Spring and Spring Shield operations that have been carried out by the Syrian National Army (SNA) forces with the support of the Turkish army against Daesh and YPG/PKK terrorists, as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan vowed more than once to complete the implementation of these areas with a depth of 30 kilometers (18 miles).
Leader of the National Front for Liberation Brig. Gen. Fatih Hassoun told AA that "the liberated areas in northern Syria suffer from dense population, and this increase is accompanied by unrest and security threats from multiple sources, in addition to the declining economic situation due to the density of the area."
"Syrians in these areas are eagerly looking forward to the news about an upcoming Turkish military operation involving the Syrian National Army, and a strong desire to achieve it because it opens many hopes about starting the comprehensive liberation process and the return of the country to the hands of the people who decide for themselves its rule," Hassoun said.
"The expected operation heralds, at this stage, the restoration of communication between the regions of northwestern and northeastern Syria which leads to the removal of the terrorist YPG/PKK organization from the liberated areas near the Turkish border," he said.
"This alleviates many acts of the terrorist organization inside Syria as well as inside Turkey, saving many innocent lives, and achieving security for the population in Syria and Turkey," he added.
Speaking about the gains, Hassoun continued, "It is obvious that the Syrians in the liberated areas suffer from a relative scarcity of resources, especially in fuel, and the liberation process is able to increase the flow of agricultural crops, which will be directly reflected on the Syrian citizen in securing food needs at a lower cost."
Hassoun also said that "with the liberation of some areas, an inevitable increase will occur in the cultivated area and the pastoral areas as well, which will positively affect the availability of meat and the low cost of production, and the increase in the area will give freedom of movement in a larger area allowing to expand and diversify the search for job opportunities."
"The new spaces will create an outlet for population pressure that will allow many of the displaced to return to their cities and villages, invest in their lands and shops, and build new housing units in these areas to accommodate new generations that grew during the revolution and this helps in the voluntary and safe return of Syrian refugees," Hassoun said.
"Many Syrian capital owners want to implement agricultural, productive and industrial projects to employ and benefit from them in building their country, and therefore their return will be a good opportunity to carry out development projects that will benefit them and inevitably reflect positively on the Syrians by increasing job opportunities," he said.
For his part, the head of the Turkmen Bayır-Bucak Front Mehmet Carn told AA said, "There are many benefits to establishing safe areas because they provide security for neighboring countries and certainly for Turkey from the threats of terrorist organizations and contribute to limiting displacement operations inside Syria and toward Turkey."
He stressed that "Those who will benefit are all residents there and businesspeople willing to invest and trade, especially since the region's population is almost 5 million Syrians who produce and work safely."
Carn concluded by saying, "Many of the benefits and gains from establishing safe areas will eventually lead to a future contribution to any political process, such that these areas appear to be exemplary and ideal compared to the rest of the regions."
Ammar Kahf, the head of Istanbul-based Omran Center for Strategic Studies, told AA that "the establishment of safe areas should be viewed within the general political context from Syria's point of view because the political process is still in crisis and there is still rejection from all parties, especially from the regime and its supporters for a real political solution."
"The foregoing coincides with a decrease in humanitarian relief and emergency support for the population and Syrians in various regions, and consequently the safe areas inhabited by about 2 million Syrians, and in Idlib about 3 million.
"These people cannot wait for international negotiations and they need to rebuild their temporary homeland so that they can return later," Kahf said.
Kahf stressed that "the first benefit is empowering the Syrians and strengthening their future negotiating position, especially since the international support is shrinking ... the Syrians need to create safe areas to return to the domestic product and the local economy, to strengthen the local, political, economic and social position."
"Empowering the Syrians to continue and develop their capabilities also requires a safe area that preserves scientific cadres, developing the local economy, and the return of productive Syrians requires a safe area, and those in the informal camps in the north need a safe area to move to decent homes worthy of them," he said.
Kahf concluded by saying, "There are many Syrians who want to return to their original areas in northern Syria but this requires safety from any violations."
Lawyer Yasser al-Farhan, a researcher in international law, told AA about the gains of the safe zone as being divided into five parts, which are "political gains that restore balance at the negotiating table to support opportunities for a political solution to achieve peace and stability in Syria and the region."
"There are security benefits that prevent the separatist terrorist militias from continuing to use the lands of those areas to carry out terrorist crimes against humanity, targeting civilians in Syria and threatening Turkish national security," al-Farhan said.
He pointed to "social benefits, as they restore values and bonds of intimacy and love to these areas by thwarting projects to spread a culture of hatred and incitement to violence and crime, imposing reprehensible curricula in education, committing crimes of forced displacement to change the demography, and preventing peace, stability and development in the region."
Al-Farhan also noted, "The economic gains provide opportunities to invest in oil, agricultural and animal wealth for the benefit of the people, and prevent terrorist militias from monopolizing the Syrian wealth, smuggling it, and using it for suspicious activities."
