Just a month before the Syrian protests against the regime of Bashar Assad began in March 2011, Turkey and Syria agreed to launch a joint project to build a dam on the border between the two countries. There was much optimism on both sides that it would further strengthen their relationship. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, on the banks of the Orontes River, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was at that time Turkey’s prime minister, described the project as the “friendship dam.” The Turkish and Syrian leaders believed the project, along with the lifting of visa requirements for travel between the two nations, would set an example to the world of the perfect neighborly relationship. No one could have predicted that a month later a civil war would erupt in Syria that would lead to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians, force millions of people to flee to Turkey and turn the two friendly neighbors into foes. From plans for a friendship dam to now establishing a peace corridor, Turkey’s policy toward its southern neighbor has undergone significant changes as a result of the shifts in the regional order. Now, Syria poses a number of threats to Turkey, one of which prompted Ankara to agree to establish a safe zone along the border in an attempt to address its security concerns. The term “peace corridor” was used to describe this zone for the first time on July 30, during a six-hour meeting of the National Security Council, the top military-political body in Turkey. After the meeting, a statement was issued that read: “Considering the increasing threats posed to our country by the vacuum of authority on our borderline with Syria, it has been confirmed that the region will be cleared of all terror risks within the frame of our border security and our determined efforts to form a ‘peace corridor’ in force will continue.” From plans for a friendship dam to now establishing a peace corridor, Turkey’s policy toward its southern neighbor has undergone significant changes as a result of the shifts in the regional order. Sinem Cengiz The words “peace corridor” appeared in bold letters in the text, sending a clear message to the US that, sooner or later, this safe zone would be established. On Wednesday, after three days of talks in Ankara, the Turkish Defense Ministry said that military officials from Turkey and the US had agreed that this safe zone in northern Syria will function as the “peace corridor” through which displaced Syrians can return home, and in which they will be guaranteed safe passage. Turkey is hosting more Syrian refugees — in excess of 3.6 million — than any other country and is facing increasing pressure domestically to speed up repatriations to peaceful parts of Syria. To this end, the Turkish military has completed preparations for an incursion into northeastern Syria to establish the peace corridor. There are two main aims: Firstly, to eliminate the fortifications used by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its affiliates and establish a 32-40 km safe zone and, secondly, to improve conditions in the region so that more Syrians can return home to live in peace and stability. This would be an important step toward resolving the Syrian refugee crisis, which has not only affected political, economic and sociological dynamics in Turkey but also in Europe. The US Department of Defense also issued a statement after Wednesday’s meeting which echoed the Turkish announcement but gave no details of the size of the safe zone or how it will be policed. It is expected that the strategy will not differ much from what Turkey did with its Operation Olive Branch and Operation Euphrates Shield. In those two operations, areas were cleared of terrorist elements, such as Daesh and the PKK, clearing the way for hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees to return home. In the latest operation, therefore, Ankara will most likely ensure that full control of the area is established by overseeing efforts to set up city councils and then a local government that includes representatives from all ethnic groups. Although it has been a long time since Turkey and the US, traditional allies currently at odds with one another, agreed on a common cause, the peace corridor seems to have them in harmony, at least to a point. Turkey is at a crossroads and it is clear that Ankara wants to work with the US during this process, while also remaining in contact with its partners in the Astana peace process, Russia and Iran. Turkey’s new policy on Syrian refugees, along with its tightened border regulations and plans for a military incursion across the border, need broader international support. Only with this backing can the aims of the peace corridor be achieved, otherwise the allies at odds will find themselves stuck in another deadlock.