‘Tough love’ seals ceasefire in Syria
TURKEY has agreed to a ceasefire following eight days of bloodshed in its invasion of north-eastern Syria.
A high level visit from US Vice-President Mike Pence sealed the deal with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan late yesterday, with the leaders agreeing to a 120hour pause.
But it was unclear whether the Kurdish majority Syrian Democratic Forces, who now have the backing of Russia, would accept the terms.
US President Donald Trump said yesterday “tough love” had worked after he imposed sanctions on Turkey in response to their invasion.
“This is a great day for civilisation. I am proud of the United States for sticking by me in following a necessary, but somewhat unconventional, path,” he tweeted.
Mr Trump added that the deal could not have happened without the proposed sanctions.
But Turkey has only agreed to a ceasefire in return for getting everything it wanted when it launched the bloody military campaign.
Turkey has given the Kurds five days to retreat 30km from the border for its so-called safe zone and the US has withdrawn its crippling sanctions.
If the Kurds comply, Turkey will agree to a permanent ceasefire but has reserved the right to keep troops in the area it continues to describe as a safe zone.
Mr Trump was criticised for withdrawing US troops from Syria last week, which Mr Erdogan saw as a green light to invade Kurdish-controlled areas on the Syrian and Turkish border. The Kurds were an ally in the fight against Islamic State, but have now aligned with Russia and Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad, who has been accused of using chemical weapons against his own people.
Kurdish forces have not publicly responded yet to the ceasefire offer but they have previously said they will defend their territory, which was won during Syria’s civil war in the battle against Islamic State.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported overnight Turkey controls 68 areas, and had killed 416 soldiers from the Kurdish majority SDF.
Official spokesman Mustafa Bali claimed there was evidence of “unconventional weapons” being used against the Kurds.
Turkey claims the Kurdish fighters are an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party, which has waged a guerrilla campaign inside Turkey since the 1980s and is listed by Turkey and the US as a terrorist organisation.