Washington hopes that Turkey will be able to put pressure on various terrorist groups based in Syria's Idlib province, such as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham*, US Special Representative James Jeffrey has stated. He claimed that some pressure has already been applied by Turkey and expressed hope that the trend will continue in the future.
The special envoy also praised efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the region, brokered by Russia in February. Jeffrey noted that American sources suggest that the ceasefire has been holding so far and will develop into a truce.
"We strongly support the ceasefire. We strongly support the Turkish military action", Jeffrey said during an online conference with the Atlantic Council.
The envoy also praised the negotiation process of the constitutional committee, which is seeking a consensus on the governing process in Syria after the civil war ends.
Jeffrey also stated that the US is ready to provide assistance to the Syrian government in fighting Daesh* remnants, who allegedly intensified their activities in Syria's south-west recently. The envoy claimed that Damascus currently has a small presence in that region, resulting in terrorists allegedly becoming emboldened to carry out attacks on cities and hold small territories for limited amounts of time.
*Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (also known as al-Nusra Front) and Daesh (also known as IS, ISIS) are terrorist organisations banned in Russia
