Turkey has agreed to a ceasefire in northern Syria to let Kurdish-led forces withdraw, US Vice-President Mike Pence has announced.
All military operations will be paused for five days, and the US will help facilitate an “orderly withdrawal” of Kurdish-led troops from what Turkey has termed a “safe zone” on the border.
Turkey launched its assault last week.
It aimed to repel a Kurdish militia that it views as a terrorist group, and resettle Syrian refugees in the area.
Critics fear this could lead to ethnic cleansing of the local Kurdish population.
The cross-border offensive came after US President Donald Trump pulled US forces out of the border region.
His decision prompted a raft of criticism at home and abroad, with some accusing him of giving Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a “green light” for the operation.
Mr Trump tweeted about the ceasefire before Mr Pence announced it, writing that “millions of lives will be saved!”Skip Twitter post by @realDonaldTrump
Donald J. Trump✔@realDonaldTrump
Great news out of Turkey. News Conference shortly with @VP and @SecPompeo. Thank you to @RTErdogan. Millions of lives will be saved!36.3K6:29 PM – Oct 17, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacy21.7K people are talking about thisReport
End of Twitter post by @realDonaldTrump
Mr Pence thanked Donald Trump’s “strong leadership” during the announcement.
“He wanted a ceasefire. He wanted to stop the violence,” the vice-president said.
SOURCE:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-50091305
