DAMASCUS, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The security zone that has surfaced to the discussion table in northern Syria is splitting the international powers apart regarding the fate of the Kurdish-controlled areas, analysts say.

At a time when the Kurdish militias in northern Syria were leaning toward the Syrian government to help them stabilize the region and avert it a Turkish-led campaign against the Kurdish militia, the United States and Turkey started talking about imposing a security zone in that area.

The situation in northern and northeastern Syria was supposedly moving toward pacification and a return of the Syrian government to those areas, particularly in light of the sudden decision by the United States to withdraw from Syria, which was declared in late December.

At the time, hopes were nourished that the foreign forces, which entered Syria illegally, would leave and that itself is a positive step toward finding a political solution and stabilizing the situation in the country.

However, Turkey and the United States, which were at odds as Turkey is opposing the Kurdish militia while the United States is supporting them, have apparently reached a solution to defuse the tension between one another, which is setting up a safe zone.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said recently that Turkey will set up a 30-km deep safe zone into northeastern Syria, which is a move suggested by U.S. President Donald Trump.

He added that both sides will continue discussions about the modalities and technical aspects of the proposed zone.

The proposed measure has sparked disparity in the statements by the Kurdish-led militia.

A political leader of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) rejected the idea of imposing a security zone in northern Syria by Turkey, according to the Saudi-funded Alarabiya TV.

Citing Riad Dardar, the joint chief of the SDC, the report said that a security zone supervised by Turkey in northern Syria would be rejected.

"Turkey should have no hand in such area, like the extremist militants, which should not be allowed to get in or out of such a zone," he said.

He noted that the security zone should not be controlled by any of the conflicting sides.

It's worth noting that the SDC is the political wing of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militia, which is backed by the U.S. and controlled areas in northeastern Syria.

On Wednesday, the SDF came out with a statement, saying that they hope to reach understandings and solutions with Turkey in order for stability and security to remain in border areas near Turkey.

The SDF said in their statement that they will support and provide help for the formation of the security zone in northern and northeastern Syria in a way that could guarantee the protection for all ethnic groups in that area.

For its part, the Syrian Foreign Ministry lashed out at the remarks of Erdogan about the security zone in northern Syria.

In a recent statement, the ministry said Erdogan's remarks and actions indicated that his country "only deals (with Syria) in the language of occupation and aggression," adding that Erdogan's actions "run against the simplest principles and charter of the UN."

It stressed that the Syrian government is determined to protect its country's territorial integrity and will defend the Syrian territory against any Turkish occupation.

The Deputy Speaker of Syrian Parliament, Najdat Anzour, said Wednesday that the Kurdish militia groups should not "play smart on Damascus," meaning not to be manipulative.

He said that the Kurdish militia groups should have realized by now that they cannot trust the U.S., noting that Turkey poses a real threat to them.

In an interview with the pro-government al-Watan newspaper released Wednesday, Anzour stressed that at this particular time, the Kurdish militia groups should bet on the Syrian government only.

He warned that the Turkish, U.S.-proposed security zone is detrimental to Syria, noting that the return of the Syrian state to all of the Syrian areas is the only positive measure to take.

For his part, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was cited by al-Watan newspaper as saying that the Syrian Army should retake all areas in northern Syria.

"We are convinced that the only solution is to transfer the areas in northern and northeastern Syria to the Syrian government and the Syrian security forces," he said.

He added that the security zone should be evaluated in terms of the territorial integrity of Syria.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor group said imposing a security zone in northern Syria would be dangerous.

It said returning the Syrian refugees from Turkey to such areas would create a demographic change in the predominantly Kurdish areas in northeastern Syria.

The Observatory noted that Afrin, which is a Kurdish enclave in northern Syria, has witnessed a demographic change when the Turkey-backed rebels took control over it last year.

It said 350,000 Syrian Kurds were displaced from Afrin and other Syrians from other areas inhabited it.

Maher Ihsan, a Syrian political expert, told Xinhua that the security zone is slowing down the political process after the situation was leaning toward becoming better.

"The idea of the political progress is with the departure of all foreign powers that entered Syria without the consent of Damascus, but creating a security zone will push back such a solution," he said. Enditem

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