Turkey has agreed to a ceasefire in northern Syria to let Kurdish-led forces withdraw.
The deal came after US Vice-President Mike Pence and Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met for talks in Ankara.
All fighting will be paused for five days, and the US will help facilitate the withdrawal of Kurdish-led troops from what Turkey terms a “safe zone” on the border, Mr Pence said.
Shortly after Ankara agreed with Washington to pause Operation Peace Spring for five days so that YPG/PKK could leave the region.
Trump said in a tweet, “Great news out of Turkey. News Conference shortly with @VP and @SecPompeo. Thank you to @RTErdogan. Millions of lives will be saved!”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan replied a tweet of his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump w
“Mr. President, many more lives will be saved when we defeat terrorism, which is humanity’s arch enemy. I am confident that this joint effort will promote peace and stability in our region,” Erdogan tweeted.
According to a joint statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry, the operation will be paused when the withdrawal of YPG terrorists, the Syrian branch of PKK terror group, is completed.
Meanwhile, Australia has ruled out retrieving dozens of Australian women and children from refugee camps during the cease-fire in Syria.
Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said on Friday the situation remained too dangerous to send Australian troops or officials into the war-torn nation.
About 46 Australian women and children, who fled the territory held by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS), are being held at the al-Hawl refugee camp in northern Syria near the area of the Turkish operation.
