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| Turkey to suspend Syria offensive 'to allow Kurdish withdrawal' | Turkey to suspend Syria offensive 'to allow Kurdish withdrawal' |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Turkey has agreed to a ceasefire in northern Syria to let Kurdish-led forces withdraw. | Turkey has agreed to a ceasefire in northern Syria to let Kurdish-led forces withdraw. |
| The decision followed talks in Ankara between US Vice-President Mike Pence and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. | |
| All fighting will be paused for five days, and the US will help facilitate an "orderly withdrawal" of Kurdish-led troops from what Turkey terms a "safe zone" on the border, Mr Pence said. | All fighting will be paused for five days, and the US will help facilitate an "orderly withdrawal" of Kurdish-led troops from what Turkey terms a "safe zone" on the border, Mr Pence said. |
| The Kurdish YPG approved the ceasefire. | The Kurdish YPG approved the ceasefire. |
| Its commander Mazloum Kobani said his forces would do anything to ensure its success. He said it would be observed in the border towns of Ras al-Ayin and Tal Abyad, which have seen fierce fighting in recent days. | |
| "We have not discussed the fate of other areas," he said. | |
| UK-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said clashes were continuing in Ras al-Ain despite the ceasefire announcement. | |
| It said 72 civilians had been killed inside Syria and more than 300,000 displaced over the past eight days. | |
| What prompted the offensive? | |
| Turkey launched the cross-border offensive last week, after US President Donald Trump announced he was pulling US forces out of the Syria-Turkey border region. | Turkey launched the cross-border offensive last week, after US President Donald Trump announced he was pulling US forces out of the Syria-Turkey border region. |
| Its goal was to push back a Kurdish militia group - the People's Protection Units (YPG) - that Turkey views as a terrorist organisation. | Its goal was to push back a Kurdish militia group - the People's Protection Units (YPG) - that Turkey views as a terrorist organisation. |
| Turkey had hoped to resettle up to two million Syrian refugees in the border area, but critics warned that could trigger ethnic cleansing of the local Kurdish population. | Turkey had hoped to resettle up to two million Syrian refugees in the border area, but critics warned that could trigger ethnic cleansing of the local Kurdish population. |
| The US pullout triggered criticism in the US and beyond, as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - an alliance dominated by the YPG - fought against the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria alongside US forces. | The US pullout triggered criticism in the US and beyond, as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - an alliance dominated by the YPG - fought against the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria alongside US forces. |
| How has Trump reacted? | How has Trump reacted? |
| President Trump tweeted about the Turkish ceasefire before Mr Pence unveiled it, writing: "Millions of lives will be saved!" | President Trump tweeted about the Turkish ceasefire before Mr Pence unveiled it, writing: "Millions of lives will be saved!" |
| He added later: "This deal could NEVER have been made 3 days ago. There needed to be some "tough" love in order to get it done. Great for everybody. Proud of all!" | He added later: "This deal could NEVER have been made 3 days ago. There needed to be some "tough" love in order to get it done. Great for everybody. Proud of all!" |
| Mr Pence credited Donald Trump's "strong leadership" during the announcement, saying: "He wanted a ceasefire. He wanted to stop the violence." | Mr Pence credited Donald Trump's "strong leadership" during the announcement, saying: "He wanted a ceasefire. He wanted to stop the violence." |
| "I am proud of the United States for sticking by me in following a necessary, but somewhat unconventional, path," Mr Trump added on Twitter. | "I am proud of the United States for sticking by me in following a necessary, but somewhat unconventional, path," Mr Trump added on Twitter. |
| Just a day before the Pence-Erdogan meeting, it emerged that Mr Trump had sent his Turkish counterpart a letter about the offensive, urging him: "Don't be a tough guy. Don't be a fool!" | Just a day before the Pence-Erdogan meeting, it emerged that Mr Trump had sent his Turkish counterpart a letter about the offensive, urging him: "Don't be a tough guy. Don't be a fool!" |
| Turkish sources said President Erdogan threw the letter in the bin. | Turkish sources said President Erdogan threw the letter in the bin. |
| What does Turkey say? | What does Turkey say? |
| Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told journalists the offensive would only be permanently halted when the SDF had left the border zone. | Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told journalists the offensive would only be permanently halted when the SDF had left the border zone. |
| "We are suspending the operation, not halting it," he said. "We will halt the operation only after [Kurdish forces] completely withdraw from the region." | "We are suspending the operation, not halting it," he said. "We will halt the operation only after [Kurdish forces] completely withdraw from the region." |
| Mr Cavusoglu said Turkey had also secured its goal of having heavy arms removed from the Kurdish-led fighters, and their positions destroyed. | Mr Cavusoglu said Turkey had also secured its goal of having heavy arms removed from the Kurdish-led fighters, and their positions destroyed. |
| Mr Pence said the US would lift economic sanctions imposed on Turkey when the military offensive ended, and would not impose more in the meantime. | Mr Pence said the US would lift economic sanctions imposed on Turkey when the military offensive ended, and would not impose more in the meantime. |
| Speaking to Al Arabiya, senior Kurdish politician Aldar Xelil said he welcomed an end to the fighting, but that the SDF would defend itself if exposed to violence. | Speaking to Al Arabiya, senior Kurdish politician Aldar Xelil said he welcomed an end to the fighting, but that the SDF would defend itself if exposed to violence. |