This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-50064546
The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Turkey-Syria offensive: Erdogan rejects US ceasefire call | Turkey-Syria offensive: Erdogan rejects US ceasefire call |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has rejected a US call for an immediate ceasefire in northern Syria. | Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has rejected a US call for an immediate ceasefire in northern Syria. |
| Mr Erdogan's comments come ahead of a visit to Turkey by the US vice-president and secretary of state. | |
| Turkey launched an offensive targeting Syrian Kurdish fighters last week after US troops allied to them pulled out. | |
| Russia, which backs Syria's government, has meanwhile said it is trying to prevent clashes between the Turkish and Syrian armies in the region. | |
| After four days of fighting, the Kurds agreed a deal with the Syrian government for the Syrian army to be deployed along the border to help repel the Turkish assault. | |
| Turkey considers the Kurdish militia that leads the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance a terrorist organisation and wants to push it away from the frontier. | |
| Ankara also says it wants to create a "safe zone" reaching about 30km (20 miles) into Syria, where up to two million Syrian refugees currently living in Turkey could be resettled. | |
| Critics of the Trump administration say the withdrawal of US troops from the region gave Turkey a "green light" for the offensive. | Critics of the Trump administration say the withdrawal of US troops from the region gave Turkey a "green light" for the offensive. |
| The US has repeatedly denied this, and on Monday Washington announced sanctions on Turkish ministries and senior government officials. | The US has repeatedly denied this, and on Monday Washington announced sanctions on Turkish ministries and senior government officials. |
| Dozens of civilians have reportedly been killed in the operation so far and at least 160,000 have fled the area, according to the UN. | |
| On Tuesday, the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said it had "taken the difficult decision to suspend the majority of its activities and evacuate all its international staff from north-east Syria". | On Tuesday, the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said it had "taken the difficult decision to suspend the majority of its activities and evacuate all its international staff from north-east Syria". |
| What did President Erdogan say? | What did President Erdogan say? |
| "They say 'declare a ceasefire'. We will never declare a ceasefire," Mr Erdogan told reporters on Tuesday. | "They say 'declare a ceasefire'. We will never declare a ceasefire," Mr Erdogan told reporters on Tuesday. |
| "They are pressuring us to stop the operation. They are announcing sanctions. Our goal is clear. We are not worried about any sanctions," the president added. | "They are pressuring us to stop the operation. They are announcing sanctions. Our goal is clear. We are not worried about any sanctions," the president added. |
| President Vladimir Putin has discussed the situation with Mr Erdogan in a phone call and invited him to Russia for a working visit "in the coming days", the Kremlin announced on Wednesday. | President Vladimir Putin has discussed the situation with Mr Erdogan in a phone call and invited him to Russia for a working visit "in the coming days", the Kremlin announced on Wednesday. |
| Mr Erdogan is also expected to meet US Vice-President Mike Pence and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in the Turkish capital, Ankara, on Thursday. | Mr Erdogan is also expected to meet US Vice-President Mike Pence and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in the Turkish capital, Ankara, on Thursday. |
| Mr Pence on Monday warned that the US sanctions against Turkey would worsen "unless and until Turkey embraces an immediate ceasefire" and negotiates a long-term settlement on the border. | Mr Pence on Monday warned that the US sanctions against Turkey would worsen "unless and until Turkey embraces an immediate ceasefire" and negotiates a long-term settlement on the border. |
| US President Donald Trump has faced mounting pressure to take action against Turkey - a key Nato partner - including from Republicans usually loyal to his administration. | US President Donald Trump has faced mounting pressure to take action against Turkey - a key Nato partner - including from Republicans usually loyal to his administration. |
| What's the latest on the ground? | What's the latest on the ground? |
| Syrian government forces on Tuesday entered the strategic town of Manbij, inside the area where Turkey wants to create its "safe zone". | Syrian government forces on Tuesday entered the strategic town of Manbij, inside the area where Turkey wants to create its "safe zone". |
| Meanwhile, Turkish troops and pro-Turkish, anti-government fighters had also been gathering near Manbij. | Meanwhile, Turkish troops and pro-Turkish, anti-government fighters had also been gathering near Manbij. |
| Over the past two years, hundreds of US troops have visibly patrolled the strategic town, but they left earlier this week. | Over the past two years, hundreds of US troops have visibly patrolled the strategic town, but they left earlier this week. |
| On Tuesday, Russia - a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad - said its forces were patrolling along the "line of contact" between Syrian and Turkish forces. | On Tuesday, Russia - a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad - said its forces were patrolling along the "line of contact" between Syrian and Turkish forces. |
| Moscow describes the Turkish offensive as "unacceptable". On Tuesday, President Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed the issue in a phone call. | Moscow describes the Turkish offensive as "unacceptable". On Tuesday, President Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed the issue in a phone call. |
| For now, Syrian forces have not been deployed between Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain, where Turkey has focused its efforts. | For now, Syrian forces have not been deployed between Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain, where Turkey has focused its efforts. |
| How did we get here? | How did we get here? |
| Kurdish-led forces have been a key ally of the US in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria. | Kurdish-led forces have been a key ally of the US in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria. |
| They described the US withdrawal, which preceded Turkish action, as a "stab in the back". | They described the US withdrawal, which preceded Turkish action, as a "stab in the back". |
| There are fears the destabilisation could lead to a resurgence of so-called Islamic State (IS), as thousands of former fighters and their relatives are being detained in northern Syria. | There are fears the destabilisation could lead to a resurgence of so-called Islamic State (IS), as thousands of former fighters and their relatives are being detained in northern Syria. |
| Hundreds of IS family members are said to have already escaped from one camp. | Hundreds of IS family members are said to have already escaped from one camp. |
| Analysts say that apart from fighting IS, the Kurds were fundamental to the US in limiting the influence of rivals Russia and Iran and keeping some leverage on the ground. | Analysts say that apart from fighting IS, the Kurds were fundamental to the US in limiting the influence of rivals Russia and Iran and keeping some leverage on the ground. |