Turkey, US hold joint helicopter flight over Syria

Turkish National Defense Ministry on Thursday (September 5) announced that two Turkish and two US helicopters conducted a joint flight over the eastern Euphrates in Syria, AA reported.

In a statement on social media, the ministry said the joint helicopter flight was part of the first phase implementations for the establishment of a safe zone in the region.

The first joint reconnaissance flight was carried out with a US helicopter on Aug. 24, said Turkey’s National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar earlier.

Turkish and US military officials reached an agreement on Aug. 7 that the safe zone in northern Syria will serve as a "peace corridor" for displaced Syrians longing to return home and a Joint Operations Center in Turkey will be set up to coordinate its establishment.

In a Thursday statement, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey aimed to settle at least a million of these Syrians to the planned safe zone along Turkey's border with Syria.