Turkey to end military operation after Kurdish forces withdraw in Syria: US

US Vice President Mike Pence said that Turkey had agreed to a 'pause in military operations for 120 hours' to allow the Kurds to withdraw.
US Vice President Mike Pence (R) talks to the media regarding his earlier meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo looks on in Ankara, Turkey (Photo| AP)
US Vice President Mike Pence (R) talks to the media regarding his earlier meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo looks on in Ankara, Turkey (Photo| AP)

ANKARA: US Vice President Mike Pence announced on Thursday that Turkey has agreed to a cease-fire to allow the Kurdish forces it was battling to safely withdraw from an area in northern Syria.

Pence spoke after he and other US officials met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara. He said that President Donald Trump made it clear that had Turkey not agreed, the US would impose more economic sanctions. However, the agreement essentially gives the Turks what they had sought to achieve with their military operation in the first place, removal of the Kurdish forces from the border "safe zone."

Pence said Turkey had agreed to a "pause in military operations for 120 hours" to allow the Kurds to withdraw. He said the U.S. and Turkey had "mutually committed to a peaceful resolution and future for the safe zone."

After the Kurdish forces are cleared from the safe zone, Turkey has committed to a permanent cease-fire but is under no obligation to withdraw its troops. That, according to one U.S. official, is tantamount to allowing Turkey to occupy the safe zone.

In addition, the deal gives Turkey relief from sanctions the administration had imposed and threatened to impose since the invasion began, meaning there will be no penalty for the operation. "The United States will withdraw recently imposed sanctions on Turkey after it ends its military operation in Syria," Pence said after talks in Ankara.

During a five-day ceasefire, the United States "will not be implementing additional sanctions," Pence told reporters. "Once we have a permanent ceasefire, following the orderly withdrawal of all YPG forces, the United States also agreed to withdraw the sanctions that were imposed on several cabinet officials and several agencies," he said referring to Kurdish forces in Syria.

(With inputs from AFP)

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