TURKEY has agreed to a five-day ceasefire in northeast Syria to allow for the withdrawal of Kurdish forces from the region.
US Vice President Mike Pence revealed the news tonight following talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Pence said Turkey would halt military operations for 120 hours to allow opposition forces – including the SDF – to leave the combat zone peacefully.
“Today the United States and Turkey have agreed to a ceasefire in Syria,” he revealed after more than four hours of talks at the presidential palace in Ankara.
Pence had flown to Turkey to call for the halt to the military incursion by Turkey aimed at clearing fighters from a 20 mile deep “safe zone” along the border.
“The Turkish side will pause Operation Peace Spring in order to allow for the withdrawal of YPG forces from the safe zone for 120 hours,” Pence said.
“All military operations under Operation Peace Spring will be paused, and Operation Peace Spring will be halted entirely on completion of the withdrawal,” he said.
President Donald Trump has hailed the news on Twitter, but provided no more details of the shock peace deal.
“Great news out of Turkey. News Conference shortly with @VPand @SecPompeo. Thank you to @RTErdogan,” he wrote from aboard Air Force One.
“Millions of lives will be saved!”
Pence had been on a mission to persuade the Turkish strongman to halt an offensive against Kurdish fighters in northeast Syria.
However, Turkish officials had previously said the action would continue regardless, so the announcement came as a huge surprise.
The assault has created a new humanitarian crisis in Syria with 200,000 civilians taking flight and a security alert over thousands of ISIS fighters abandoned in Kurdish jails.
More to follow…
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