The Inside Story Of The Precarious, Temporary Truce In Turkey's Invasion Of Syria Now, there is a temporary ceasefire in West Asia. Turkey has agreed to not target North East Syria for 12 hours.

Gravitas: Temporary Truce In Syria: What Transpired Behind The Scenes?

The Lebanese government faced calls to resign Thursday after thousands of furious demonstrators took to the streets across the country to protest dire economic conditions.

Public anger has simmered since parliament passed an austerity budget in July to help trim a ballooning deficit and flared on Thursday over plans to tax calls on messaging applications, forcing the government to axe the unpopular measure.

Across the country, demonstrators chanted the popular refrain of the 2011 Arab Spring protests: "The people demand the fall of the regime."

Protesters in the capital blocked the road to the airport with burning tyres, prompting a heavy deployment by security forces.

Near government headquarters in central Beirut, violent confrontations broke out between protesters and security forces as demonstrators tried to storm the building.

Security forces fired tear gas to disperse protesters after the Internal Security Forces (ISF) said clashes wounded 40 of its members.

Protesters also sparked a large blaze near the Mohammad al-Amin mosque in Downtown Beirut.

"We elected them and we will remove them from power," one protester told a local TV station.

"What unites us is the standard of living -- we are all destroyed," said another.

Besides the capital Beirut, protests erupted in the southern city of Sidon, the northern city of Tripoli and the Bekaa Valley, before spreading to other areas, the state-run National News Agency reported.

Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Choucair said that the government had reversed its decision to tax calls on messaging apps following the unrest.

The government is weighing a series of further belt-tightening measures it hopes will rescue the ailing economy and secure $11 billion in aid pledged by international donors last year.

It is expected to announce a series of tax hikes in the coming months as part of next year's budget.

Thursday's far-reaching protests prompted calls by senior officials for the government to resign, with influential Druze politician Walid Jumblatt saying he had urged the prime minister to step down.

Interior Minister Raya al-Hassan said the prime minister will deliver a speech on Friday.

"If this government falls, the government that will come after will not have better options," she said in a statement carried by NNA.

The education ministry said schools and universities would be closed on Friday.

Earlier on Thursday, Information Minister Jamal Jarrah had announced a 20-cent daily fee for messaging app users who made calls on platforms such as WhatsApp and Viber, sparking public outrage.

He told reporters after a cabinet session the move would bring $200 million annually into government coffers.

Lebanese digital rights group SMEX said the country's main mobile operators were already planning to introduce new technology that will allow them to detect whether users are trying to make internet calls using their networks.

"Lebanon already has some of the highest mobile prices in the region," SMEX said on Twitter.

The latest policy "will force users to pay for internet services twice", it added.

Growth in Lebanon has plummeted in the wake of repeated political deadlocks in recent years, compounded by the impact of eight years of war in neighbouring Syria.

"Most high-frequency indicators point towards a continuation of weak growth in 2019," the International Monetary Fund said Thursday.

Lebanon's public debt stands at around $86 billion, higher than 150 per cent of gross domestic product, according to the finance ministry.

Eighty per cent of that figure is owed to Lebanon's central bank and local banks.

Last month, banks and money exchange houses rationed dollar sales, sparking fears of a currency devaluation.

The Lebanese government faced calls to resign Thursday after thousands of furious demonstrators took to the streets across the country to protest dire economic conditions.

The Lebanese government faced calls to resign Thursday after thousands of furious demonstrators took to the streets across the country to protest dire economic conditions. Public anger has simmered since parliament passed an austerity budget in July to help trim a ballooning deficit and flared on Thursday over plans to tax calls on messaging applications, forcing the government to axe the unpopular measure. Across the country, demonstrators chanted the popular refrain of the 2011 Arab Spring protests: "The people demand the fall of the regime." Protesters in the capital blocked the road to the airport with burning tyres, prompting a heavy deployment by security forces. Near government headquarters in central Beirut, violent confrontations broke out between protesters and security forces as demonstrators tried to storm the building. Security forces fired tear gas to disperse protesters after the Internal Security Forces (ISF) said clashes wounded 40 of its members. Protesters also sparked a large blaze near the Mohammad al-Amin mosque in Downtown Beirut. "We elected them and we will remove them from power," one protester told a local TV station. "What unites us is the standard of living -- we are all destroyed," said another. Besides the capital Beirut, protests erupted in the southern city of Sidon, the northern city of Tripoli and the Bekaa Valley, before spreading to other areas, the state-run National News Agency reported. Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Choucair said that the government had reversed its decision to tax calls on messaging apps following the unrest. The government is weighing a series of further belt-tightening measures it hopes will rescue the ailing economy and secure $11 billion in aid pledged by international donors last year. It is expected to announce a series of tax hikes in the coming months as part of next year's budget. Thursday's far-reaching protests prompted calls by senior officials for the government to resign, with influential Druze politician Walid Jumblatt saying he had urged the prime minister to step down. Interior Minister Raya al-Hassan said the prime minister will deliver a speech on Friday. "If this government falls, the government that will come after will not have better options," she said in a statement carried by NNA. The education ministry said schools and universities would be closed on Friday. Earlier on Thursday, Information Minister Jamal Jarrah had announced a 20-cent daily fee for messaging app users who made calls on platforms such as WhatsApp and Viber, sparking public outrage. He told reporters after a cabinet session the move would bring $200 million annually into government coffers. Lebanese digital rights group SMEX said the country's main mobile operators were already planning to introduce new technology that will allow them to detect whether users are trying to make internet calls using their networks. "Lebanon already has some of the highest mobile prices in the region," SMEX said on Twitter. The latest policy "will force users to pay for internet services twice", it added. Growth in Lebanon has plummeted in the wake of repeated political deadlocks in recent years, compounded by the impact of eight years of war in neighbouring Syria. "Most high-frequency indicators point towards a continuation of weak growth in 2019," the International Monetary Fund said Thursday. Lebanon's public debt stands at around $86 billion, higher than 150 per cent of gross domestic product, according to the finance ministry. Eighty per cent of that figure is owed to Lebanon's central bank and local banks. Last month, banks and money exchange houses rationed dollar sales, sparking fears of a currency devaluation.

Lebanese government faces calls to resign as austerity protests spread

Turkey agreed with the United States to suspend its deadly offensive in northern Syria, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promising to end the assault if Kurdish forces withdraw from a "safe zone" along the border.

From Ankara's point of view, this would allow Erdogan to kill two birds with one stone -- easing its refugee burden and pushing Kurdish militants away from Turkey's southern border.

Thursday's agreement on a 120-hour suspension came just over week after Ankara launched its cross-border operation against the Kurdish YPG militia on October 9.

Experts say Turkey still wants a "safe zone" on the same terms proposed before, while others argue it is difficult for Ankara to physically establish the area.

- What is the 'safe zone'? -

Before launching the operation, the Turkish government said it wanted a zone that would be 30 kilometres deep and run over 400 kilometres (300 miles) along northern Syria.

Erdogan has previously said this zone would then allow two to three million Syrian refugees to return to their country.&nbsp;

The issue has become a priority for the Turkish leader, who has faced a growing popular backlash over the presence of 3.6 million Syrian refugees in the country -- the highest number in the world.

The new zone would also be a buffer area against the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), a Western-allied fighting force which has played a key role in the battle against the Islamic State group and other jihadists.

Ankara sees the YPG as a dangerous offshoot of what it considers Kurdish "terrorists" in Turkey, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) behind a decades-long insurgency against the state.

The "safe zone" was first publicly mooted earlier this year by President Donald Trump in a subsequently failed bid to stop Erdogan launching his operation.

US Vice President Mike Pence said after talks with Erdogan on Thursday that the YPG would withdraw "outside the 20-mile mark" but did not give further details.

- What has changed? -

James Jeffrey, the US special representative on Syria, said the status on the ground had now changed since Turkish forces entered Syria with their Syrian proxies.

"What we have now is a different situation where the Turks have pushed down to that 30 kilometre level in a central part of the northeast and they're still fighting in there," he said on board Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's plane on Thursday.

"The YPG elements in these areas that the Turks control will withdraw south of that area. That's basically the 30-kilometre area which is also the roads M4, M10," he said.

Turkish media have reported that Ankara aims to take control of a swathe of territory 120 kilometres (75 miles) long and 30 kilometres deep into Syria, up to the towns of Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain.&nbsp;

Tal Abyad was captured last week by Turkey and its proxy forces but clashes continue in Ras al-Ain.

Turkey still wanted any final "safe zone" to be 444 kilometres long, Erdogan told reporters on Friday.

Hasan Unal, foreign policy analyst at Istanbul's Maltepe University, said the zone first proposed by Turkey remained Ankara's goal which includes the northern Syrian city of Manbij, the town of Kobane and the area up to the Iraq border to the east.

But this might prove difficult since Syrian regime forces have entered Manbij and Kobane after a deal with the Kurds, who sought protection from the Turkish assault.

Unal said it was likely the United States would "keep coming with different interpretations of the compromise", pointing to previous US-Turkey agreements in northern Syria.

In August, American and Turkish officials agreed to set up a buffer zone on the Turkey-Syria border but Ankara was unhappy with the lack of concrete developments.

However, Unal said future developments in Syria involving Turkey depended on the outcome of the meeting between Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin next Tuesday.

"What might happen with regards to Turkish action in northeast Syria, Turkish-Syrian relations, with regard to Turkish attitudes towards a new Syria seems to largely depend on that (meeting)," he said, adding that no "miracle" should be expected.

- Can it really be set up? -

According to Anthony Skinner, director at the risk assessment firm Verisk Maplecroft, too many unanswered questions remained over Ankara's ability to control the zone.

"Turkey has not been able to secure the funding it wants to be able to develop the infrastructure for this resettlement programme to succeed," he told AFP.

And, Skinner added, "it is unclear how a sufficiently robust non-Turkish force could be sustained on the ground in the longer term to keep the peace at a local level".

Syria expert Fabrice Balanche said last month that it would not be possible to send three million people to the proposed region because the liveable area was "limited". 
&nbsp;

Turkey agreed with the United States to suspend its deadly offensive in northern Syria, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promising to end the assault if Kurdish forces withdraw from a "safe zone" along the border.

Turkey agreed with the United States to suspend its deadly offensive in northern Syria, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promising to end the assault if Kurdish forces withdraw from a "safe zone" along the border. From Ankara's point of view, this would allow Erdogan to kill two birds with one stone -- easing its refugee burden and pushing Kurdish militants away from Turkey's southern border. Thursday's agreement on a 120-hour suspension came just over week after Ankara launched its cross-border operation against the Kurdish YPG militia on October 9. Experts say Turkey still wants a "safe zone" on the same terms proposed before, while others argue it is difficult for Ankara to physically establish the area. - What is the 'safe zone'? - Before launching the operation, the Turkish government said it wanted a zone that would be 30 kilometres deep and run over 400 kilometres (300 miles) along northern Syria. Erdogan has previously said this zone would then allow two to three million Syrian refugees to return to their country. The issue has become a priority for the Turkish leader, who has faced a growing popular backlash over the presence of 3.6 million Syrian refugees in the country -- the highest number in the world. The new zone would also be a buffer area against the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), a Western-allied fighting force which has played a key role in the battle against the Islamic State group and other jihadists. Ankara sees the YPG as a dangerous offshoot of what it considers Kurdish "terrorists" in Turkey, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) behind a decades-long insurgency against the state. The "safe zone" was first publicly mooted earlier this year by President Donald Trump in a subsequently failed bid to stop Erdogan launching his operation. US Vice President Mike Pence said after talks with Erdogan on Thursday that the YPG would withdraw "outside the 20-mile mark" but did not give further details. - What has changed? - James Jeffrey, the US special representative on Syria, said the status on the ground had now changed since Turkish forces entered Syria with their Syrian proxies. "What we have now is a different situation where the Turks have pushed down to that 30 kilometre level in a central part of the northeast and they're still fighting in there," he said on board Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's plane on Thursday. "The YPG elements in these areas that the Turks control will withdraw south of that area. That's basically the 30-kilometre area which is also the roads M4, M10," he said. Turkish media have reported that Ankara aims to take control of a swathe of territory 120 kilometres (75 miles) long and 30 kilometres deep into Syria, up to the towns of Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain. Tal Abyad was captured last week by Turkey and its proxy forces but clashes continue in Ras al-Ain. Turkey still wanted any final "safe zone" to be 444 kilometres long, Erdogan told reporters on Friday. Hasan Unal, foreign policy analyst at Istanbul's Maltepe University, said the zone first proposed by Turkey remained Ankara's goal which includes the northern Syrian city of Manbij, the town of Kobane and the area up to the Iraq border to the east. But this might prove difficult since Syrian regime forces have entered Manbij and Kobane after a deal with the Kurds, who sought protection from the Turkish assault. Unal said it was likely the United States would "keep coming with different interpretations of the compromise", pointing to previous US-Turkey agreements in northern Syria. In August, American and Turkish officials agreed to set up a buffer zone on the Turkey-Syria border but Ankara was unhappy with the lack of concrete developments. However, Unal said future developments in Syria involving Turkey depended on the outcome of the meeting between Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin next Tuesday. "What might happen with regards to Turkish action in northeast Syria, Turkish-Syrian relations, with regard to Turkish attitudes towards a new Syria seems to largely depend on that (meeting)," he said, adding that no "miracle" should be expected. - Can it really be set up? - According to Anthony Skinner, director at the risk assessment firm Verisk Maplecroft, too many unanswered questions remained over Ankara's ability to control the zone. "Turkey has not been able to secure the funding it wants to be able to develop the infrastructure for this resettlement programme to succeed," he told AFP. And, Skinner added, "it is unclear how a sufficiently robust non-Turkish force could be sustained on the ground in the longer term to keep the peace at a local level". Syria expert Fabrice Balanche said last month that it would not be possible to send three million people to the proposed region because the liveable area was "limited".

What is the 'safe zone' Turkey wants in Syria?

Airstrikes by Turkey and mortar fire by its proxies killed nine more civilians near a flashpoint town in northeastern Syria, bringing Friday's civilian death toll to 14, a monitor said.

"Air strikes and mortar rounds Friday killed 14 civilians... in Bab el-Kheir and nearby villages," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/shelling-heard-around-syrian-town-after-turkish-us-ceasefire-deal-256640">Deadly Turkish airstrikes </a>shattered an hours-old US-brokered deal to stop Ankara's military offensive against Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-agrees-with-us-to-pause-syria-assault-while-kurds-withdraw-256571">ceasefire announced late Thursday</a> was meant to provide a pause for the evacuation of Kurdish fighters from the battleground border town of Ras al-Ain and other areas Turkey wants to control along its border with Syria.

The five-day suspension looked designed to help Turkey achieve its main territorial goals without fighting but its Syrian proxies continued to clash with Kurdish fighters Friday.

The Britain-based war monitor said four fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces -- the de facto army of the embattled Kurdish autonomous region -- were killed in the strike.

The incident took place even as a 200-vehicle convoy headed towards Ras al-Ain to evacuate civilians who have been virtually besieged there since the start of Turkey's cross-border assault on October 9.

Mustefa Bali, a spokesman for the SDF, said Turkey was clearly violating the terms of the agreement reached during a Thursday visit to Ankara by US Vice President Mike Pence.

- Violation -

"Despite the agreement to halt the fighting, air and artillery attacks continue to target the positions of fighters, civilian settlements and the hospital" in Ras al-Ain, he said.

Under the deal, Kurdish forces are required to withdraw from a border strip 32 kilometres (20 miles) deep, clearing the way for a "safe zone" sought by Turkey.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had said they were ready to abide by the ceasefire in border territory between Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad to its west.

The Turkish offensive was sparked by US President Donald Trump's announcement of an American withdrawal from northern Syria, leading critics to accuse him of betraying Washington's Kurdish allies.

On Thursday evening, Trump said he allowed the two sides to fight for a few days before brokering a truce as they were like "kids in a lot".

The Turkish military and its Syrian proxies -- mostly Arab and Turkmen former rebels used as a ground force -- have so far seized around 120 kilometres (70 miles) of territory along the border.

More than 500 people have been killed on the two sides, including nearly 100 civilians, while around 300,000 have been displaced, according to the Observatory.

- Hospital surrounded -

Kurdish forces have put up fierce resistance in Ras al-Ain, with a network of tunnels, berms and trenches that held off the Turkish onslaught for a week.

Ankara considers the Kurdish forces to be "terrorists" linked to Kurdish rebels inside Turkey.

Turkish forces and their allies had taken control of half of Ras al-Ain on Thursday when its hospital was hit, trapping patients and staff inside, Abdel Rahman said.&nbsp;

Kurdish authorities sent a medical team to rescue the wounded but it was prevented from entering the town, said Hassan Amin, a director of the hospital in nearby Tal Tamr.

"The situation of the wounded is critical and the number is high," he said, adding that seven wounded people from around Ras al-Ain were however evacuated to Tal Tamr.

- 'War crimes' -

Trump has come under sustained criticism in Washington over his handling of the crisis, not only from Democrats but from within his own Republican Party.&nbsp;

The SDF fought alongside US forces to defeat the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria and Iraq, but Trump argued it was no longer the US role to ensure calm in the region.

Thousands of IS fighters and their families are held in Kurdish-run jails across northern Syria.

The prospect of thousands of the world's most radical jihadists breaking out in the chaos caused by Turkey's invasion is causing widespread alarm.

The Turkish offensive has also been widely criticised, with videos surfacing online allegedly showing captured fighters and civilians being executed.

On Friday, Amnesty International accused Ankara's forces and their proxies of "serious violations and war crimes, summary killings and unlawful attacks".

There was no immediate response from Ankara, which says all possible measures have been taken to avoid civilian casualties.

Trump welcomed the temporary ceasefire Thursday, but later compared the warring parties to children.

"Like two kids in a lot, you have got to let them fight and then you pull them apart," Trump told a rally in Dallas, Texas.

Brett McGurk, former presidential special envoy for the anti-IS coalition, described Trump's remarks as "obscene and ignorant".

Airstrikes by Turkey and mortar fire by its proxies killed nine more civilians near a flashpoint town in northeastern Syria, bringing Friday's civilian death toll to 14, a monitor said.

Airstrikes by Turkey and mortar fire by its proxies killed nine more civilians near a flashpoint town in northeastern Syria, bringing Friday's civilian death toll to 14, a monitor said. "Air strikes and mortar rounds Friday killed 14 civilians... in Bab el-Kheir and nearby villages," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Deadly Turkish airstrikes shattered an hours-old US-brokered deal to stop Ankara's military offensive against Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria. The ceasefire announced late Thursday was meant to provide a pause for the evacuation of Kurdish fighters from the battleground border town of Ras al-Ain and other areas Turkey wants to control along its border with Syria. The five-day suspension looked designed to help Turkey achieve its main territorial goals without fighting but its Syrian proxies continued to clash with Kurdish fighters Friday. The Britain-based war monitor said four fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces -- the de facto army of the embattled Kurdish autonomous region -- were killed in the strike. The incident took place even as a 200-vehicle convoy headed towards Ras al-Ain to evacuate civilians who have been virtually besieged there since the start of Turkey's cross-border assault on October 9. Mustefa Bali, a spokesman for the SDF, said Turkey was clearly violating the terms of the agreement reached during a Thursday visit to Ankara by US Vice President Mike Pence. - Violation - "Despite the agreement to halt the fighting, air and artillery attacks continue to target the positions of fighters, civilian settlements and the hospital" in Ras al-Ain, he said. Under the deal, Kurdish forces are required to withdraw from a border strip 32 kilometres (20 miles) deep, clearing the way for a "safe zone" sought by Turkey. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had said they were ready to abide by the ceasefire in border territory between Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad to its west. The Turkish offensive was sparked by US President Donald Trump's announcement of an American withdrawal from northern Syria, leading critics to accuse him of betraying Washington's Kurdish allies. On Thursday evening, Trump said he allowed the two sides to fight for a few days before brokering a truce as they were like "kids in a lot". The Turkish military and its Syrian proxies -- mostly Arab and Turkmen former rebels used as a ground force -- have so far seized around 120 kilometres (70 miles) of territory along the border. More than 500 people have been killed on the two sides, including nearly 100 civilians, while around 300,000 have been displaced, according to the Observatory. - Hospital surrounded - Kurdish forces have put up fierce resistance in Ras al-Ain, with a network of tunnels, berms and trenches that held off the Turkish onslaught for a week. Ankara considers the Kurdish forces to be "terrorists" linked to Kurdish rebels inside Turkey. Turkish forces and their allies had taken control of half of Ras al-Ain on Thursday when its hospital was hit, trapping patients and staff inside, Abdel Rahman said. Kurdish authorities sent a medical team to rescue the wounded but it was prevented from entering the town, said Hassan Amin, a director of the hospital in nearby Tal Tamr. "The situation of the wounded is critical and the number is high," he said, adding that seven wounded people from around Ras al-Ain were however evacuated to Tal Tamr. - 'War crimes' - Trump has come under sustained criticism in Washington over his handling of the crisis, not only from Democrats but from within his own Republican Party. The SDF fought alongside US forces to defeat the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria and Iraq, but Trump argued it was no longer the US role to ensure calm in the region. Thousands of IS fighters and their families are held in Kurdish-run jails across northern Syria. The prospect of thousands of the world's most radical jihadists breaking out in the chaos caused by Turkey's invasion is causing widespread alarm. The Turkish offensive has also been widely criticised, with videos surfacing online allegedly showing captured fighters and civilians being executed. On Friday, Amnesty International accused Ankara's forces and their proxies of "serious violations and war crimes, summary killings and unlawful attacks". There was no immediate response from Ankara, which says all possible measures have been taken to avoid civilian casualties. Trump welcomed the temporary ceasefire Thursday, but later compared the warring parties to children. "Like two kids in a lot, you have got to let them fight and then you pull them apart," Trump told a rally in Dallas, Texas. Brett McGurk, former presidential special envoy for the anti-IS coalition, described Trump's remarks as "obscene and ignorant".

Civilian toll rises to 14 in Turkey bombardment on Syria: Monitor

Turkey agreed on Thursday to pause its offensive in Syria for five days to let Kurdish forces withdraw from a "safe zone" Ankara had sought to capture, in a deal hailed by the Trump administration and cast by Turkey as a complete victory.

The truce was announced by US Vice President Mike Pence after talks in Ankara with Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan, and was praised by President Donald Trump, who said it would save <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-and-turkey-reach-ceasefire-in-syria-256560">"millions of lives"</a>.

But if implemented it would achieve all the main objectives Turkey announced when it launched its assault on October 9, control of a strip of Syria more than 30 km (20 miles) deep, with the Kurdish militia, once US allies, obliged to pull out.

It was also unclear if the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) would fully comply with the agreement, which would leave Turkish forces in charge of a swathe of territory that the Kurds once held with US military support.

SDF commander Mazloum Kobani told Ronahi TV the group would accept the ceasefire agreement with Turkey in northern Syria but said it was limited to the border areas running between the towns of Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad.

Watch: Turkey-Syria conflict - Trump's flip flop baffles allies

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Republican and Democratic senators accused Trump of having betrayed the Kurdish allies who were vital in fighting Islamic State militants, of brushing aside the humanitarian costs of Turkey's invasion and of being outwitted by Ankara.

"The safe zone will be primarily enforced by the Turkish Armed Forces," a joint US-Turkish statement released after the talks said.

US senators who have criticized the Trump administration for failing to prevent the Turkish assault in the first place said they would press ahead with legislation to impose sanctions against Turkey despite the ceasefire announcement.

A Turkish official told Reuters that Ankara got "exactly what we wanted" from the talks with the United States. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu described it as a pause, solely to allow the Kurdish fighters to withdraw.

Kurdish fighters would be forced to give up their heavy weapons and their positions would be destroyed, Cavusoglu said. He declined to call the agreement a "ceasefire", saying ceasefires could be agreed only by legitimate sides, and not by a Kurdish militia that Turkey considers a terrorist group.

"When the terrorist elements completely leave the safe zone, we can stop the operation," Cavusoglu said.

Washington and Ankara will cooperate to handle Islamic State (IS) fighters and their families held in prisons and camps, the joint statement said, addressing concerns that the militant group might reconstitute and again attack Western targets.

Uncertainty about Kurdish response

Pence said Washington had already been in contact with the Kurdish-led SDF, which had agreed to withdraw and were already pulling out.

However, the Kurdish position was not clear. Speaking to Ronahi TV, SDF commander Kobani said the agreement is "just the beginning" and will not achieve Turkey's goals.

Aldar Xelil, a leading Syrian Kurdish politician, told Al Arabiya television that the Kurds would abide by the ceasefire but would defend themselves.

Pence said that once the pause became permanent, Washington would go ahead with its own plans to withdraw its forces from northern Syria, which had partnered with the Kurds to fight against Islamic State. However, there were no signs that US forces had ceased their withdrawal, a US official said.

Trump tweeted: "Great news out of Turkey".

"Thank you to Erdogan," Trump said. "Millions of lives will be saved!"

"Today the United States and Turkey have agreed to a ceasefire in Syria," Pence told a news conference after more than four hours of talks at the presidential palace in Ankara.

"The Turkish side will pause Operation Peace Spring in order to allow for the withdrawal of YPG forces from the safe zone for 120 hours," Pence said. "All military operations under Operation Peace Spring will be paused, and Operation Peace Spring will be halted entirely on completion of the withdrawal."

The deal struck with Erdogan also provided for Turkey not to engage in military operations in the flashpoint Syrian border town of Kobani, Pence said. Cavusoglu said Turkey had given no commitments about Kobani.

US Special Representative for Syria Engagement James Jeffrey said the agreement covered central northeastern Syria and Turkey was in separate talks with the Russians and the Syrians about other parts of the region.

"We have a very (convoluted) situation with Russian, Syrian Army, Turkish, American, SDF and some Daesh (Islamic State) elements all floating around in a very wild way," he told pool reporters as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew to Tel Aviv from Ankara.

Humanitarian crisis

Senator Mitt Romney, a Republican, said the agreement "is far from a victory" and demanded the administration explain what will happen to the Kurds, what will be the future US role in the region and why Turkey "will face no apparent consequences."

"What President Trump agreed to today is a capitulation to Turkey at the expense of our Kurdish allies," Senator Maggie Hassan, a Democrat, said in a statement, saying "the agreement lets Turkey off the hook for slaughtering innocent civilians."

The Turkish assault has created a new humanitarian crisis in Syria with 200,000 civilians taking flight, a security alert over thousands of Islamic State fighters potentially abandoned in Kurdish jails, and a political maelstrom at home for Trump.

The Turkish assault began on October 9 after Trump moved US troops out of the way after an October 6 phone call with Erdogan. Trump announced sanctions on Turkey on Monday, after the assault began, but critics said these were too little, too late.

Pence said the sanctions would be lifted once the ceasefire became permanent.

If successful, the deal could smooth over a major rift between Washington and Turkey, the only Muslim NATO ally.

But the US withdrawal also leaves US adversaries Russia and Iran in a far stronger position in Syria. The Kurds responded to the US withdrawal by effectively switching allegiances and inviting Syrian government forces, backed by Moscow and Tehran, into towns and cities in areas they control.

"The United States essentially agreed to everything Turkey was seeking: a green light to invade, the creation of a huge 'safe zone' that Kurdish fighters have to leave, and the end of Kurdish autonomy," said Phil Gordon, an Obama administration official now at the Council on Foreign Relations.

"Deeply damaging to US credibility, not just because Trump betrayed the Kurds but because it once again makes Trump look like a paper tiger: after all his big threats to Turkey he gave it everything it wanted for almost nothing in return," Gordon said.

Turkey agreed on Thursday to pause its offensive in Syria for five days to let Kurdish forces withdraw from a "safe zone" Ankara had sought to capture, in a deal hailed by the Trump administration and cast by Turkey as a complete victory.

Turkey agreed on Thursday to pause its offensive in Syria for five days to let Kurdish forces withdraw from a "safe zone" Ankara had sought to capture, in a deal hailed by the Trump administration and cast by Turkey as a complete victory. The truce was announced by US Vice President Mike Pence after talks in Ankara with Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan, and was praised by President Donald Trump, who said it would save "millions of lives". But if implemented it would achieve all the main objectives Turkey announced when it launched its assault on October 9, control of a strip of Syria more than 30 km (20 miles) deep, with the Kurdish militia, once US allies, obliged to pull out. It was also unclear if the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) would fully comply with the agreement, which would leave Turkish forces in charge of a swathe of territory that the Kurds once held with US military support. SDF commander Mazloum Kobani told Ronahi TV the group would accept the ceasefire agreement with Turkey in northern Syria but said it was limited to the border areas running between the towns of Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad. Watch: Turkey-Syria conflict - Trump's flip flop baffles allies × Republican and Democratic senators accused Trump of having betrayed the Kurdish allies who were vital in fighting Islamic State militants, of brushing aside the humanitarian costs of Turkey's invasion and of being outwitted by Ankara. "The safe zone will be primarily enforced by the Turkish Armed Forces," a joint US-Turkish statement released after the talks said. US senators who have criticized the Trump administration for failing to prevent the Turkish assault in the first place said they would press ahead with legislation to impose sanctions against Turkey despite the ceasefire announcement. A Turkish official told Reuters that Ankara got "exactly what we wanted" from the talks with the United States. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu described it as a pause, solely to allow the Kurdish fighters to withdraw. Kurdish fighters would be forced to give up their heavy weapons and their positions would be destroyed, Cavusoglu said. He declined to call the agreement a "ceasefire", saying ceasefires could be agreed only by legitimate sides, and not by a Kurdish militia that Turkey considers a terrorist group. "When the terrorist elements completely leave the safe zone, we can stop the operation," Cavusoglu said. Washington and Ankara will cooperate to handle Islamic State (IS) fighters and their families held in prisons and camps, the joint statement said, addressing concerns that the militant group might reconstitute and again attack Western targets. Uncertainty about Kurdish response Pence said Washington had already been in contact with the Kurdish-led SDF, which had agreed to withdraw and were already pulling out. However, the Kurdish position was not clear. Speaking to Ronahi TV, SDF commander Kobani said the agreement is "just the beginning" and will not achieve Turkey's goals. Aldar Xelil, a leading Syrian Kurdish politician, told Al Arabiya television that the Kurds would abide by the ceasefire but would defend themselves. Pence said that once the pause became permanent, Washington would go ahead with its own plans to withdraw its forces from northern Syria, which had partnered with the Kurds to fight against Islamic State. However, there were no signs that US forces had ceased their withdrawal, a US official said. Trump tweeted: "Great news out of Turkey". "Thank you to Erdogan," Trump said. "Millions of lives will be saved!" "Today the United States and Turkey have agreed to a ceasefire in Syria," Pence told a news conference after more than four hours of talks at the presidential palace in Ankara. "The Turkish side will pause Operation Peace Spring in order to allow for the withdrawal of YPG forces from the safe zone for 120 hours," Pence said. "All military operations under Operation Peace Spring will be paused, and Operation Peace Spring will be halted entirely on completion of the withdrawal." The deal struck with Erdogan also provided for Turkey not to engage in military operations in the flashpoint Syrian border town of Kobani, Pence said. Cavusoglu said Turkey had given no commitments about Kobani. US Special Representative for Syria Engagement James Jeffrey said the agreement covered central northeastern Syria and Turkey was in separate talks with the Russians and the Syrians about other parts of the region. "We have a very (convoluted) situation with Russian, Syrian Army, Turkish, American, SDF and some Daesh (Islamic State) elements all floating around in a very wild way," he told pool reporters as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew to Tel Aviv from Ankara. Humanitarian crisis Senator Mitt Romney, a Republican, said the agreement "is far from a victory" and demanded the administration explain what will happen to the Kurds, what will be the future US role in the region and why Turkey "will face no apparent consequences." "What President Trump agreed to today is a capitulation to Turkey at the expense of our Kurdish allies," Senator Maggie Hassan, a Democrat, said in a statement, saying "the agreement lets Turkey off the hook for slaughtering innocent civilians." The Turkish assault has created a new humanitarian crisis in Syria with 200,000 civilians taking flight, a security alert over thousands of Islamic State fighters potentially abandoned in Kurdish jails, and a political maelstrom at home for Trump. The Turkish assault began on October 9 after Trump moved US troops out of the way after an October 6 phone call with Erdogan. Trump announced sanctions on Turkey on Monday, after the assault began, but critics said these were too little, too late. Pence said the sanctions would be lifted once the ceasefire became permanent. If successful, the deal could smooth over a major rift between Washington and Turkey, the only Muslim NATO ally. But the US withdrawal also leaves US adversaries Russia and Iran in a far stronger position in Syria. The Kurds responded to the US withdrawal by effectively switching allegiances and inviting Syrian government forces, backed by Moscow and Tehran, into towns and cities in areas they control. "The United States essentially agreed to everything Turkey was seeking: a green light to invade, the creation of a huge 'safe zone' that Kurdish fighters have to leave, and the end of Kurdish autonomy," said Phil Gordon, an Obama administration official now at the Council on Foreign Relations. "Deeply damaging to US credibility, not just because Trump betrayed the Kurds but because it once again makes Trump look like a paper tiger: after all his big threats to Turkey he gave it everything it wanted for almost nothing in return," Gordon said.

Turkey agrees with US to pause Syria assault while Kurds withdraw

Donald Trump ties himself in knots over Turkey Syria

Turkey-Syria conflict: Trump's flip flop baffles allies

Turkey agreed to pause its offensive in Syria for five days to let Kurdish forces withdraw from a "safe zone" Ankara had sought to capture, in a deal hailed by Washington but which Turkish leaders cast as a complete victory.

Ceasefire announced in Syria: Turkey agreed to no military actions

Turkey Agrees to Pause Military Operations in Northern Syria. Watch video to know more.

Turkey Agrees to Pause Military Operations in Northern Syria

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trumps-letter-to-recep-tayyip-erdogan-dont-be-a-fool-256456">Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan</a> Friday warned that Ankara would restart its operation against Kurdish forces in Syria on Tuesday evening if they do not withdraw from a "safe zone".

After <a href="http://cms.wionews.com/photos/ceasefire-hails-us-turkey-calls-it-a-pause-what-happened-when-washington-ankara-met-over-syria-offensive-256688">US Vice President Mike Pence came to Ankara for talks</a> with Erdogan on Thursday, the NATO allies agreed Turkey would suspend its offensive for five days in northern Syria while Kurdish fighters withdraw from the area.

"If the promises are kept until Tuesday evening, the safe zone issue will be resolved. If it fails, the operation... will start the minute 120 hours are over," Erdogan told reporters during a briefing in Istanbul.

He said Turkish armed forces would remain in the region "because the security there requires this", adding that there had been no issues so far.

But the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Friday there were Turkish air strikes on the village of Bab al-Kheir, east of Ras al-Ain on the border. The war monitor said <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/deadly-turkey-air-strikes-shatter-north-east-syria-truce-256721">five civilians were killed</a>.

Turkey launched the cross-border incursion on October 9 after repeatedly threatening to clear the border area from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia.

While US President Donald Trump appeared to initially green light the offensive, he made repeated threats against Turkey, often in tweets, following international outrage.

He then sent Pence and the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with other US officials to Ankara to thrash out a deal, which was announced on Thursday after hours of talks.

Erdogan said the "safe zone" would be 32 kilometres (20 miles) deep, and 444 kilometres in length, "not between Kobane and Tal Abyad".

He added that the region between the border towns of Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain had been cleared, "but this is not over. The process is ongoing."

Just hours before the US-Turkey talks, a bizarre letter appeared in the US media from Trump to Erdogan, in which the US leader urged Erdogan not to be a "fool" and warned his Turkish counterpart that history risked branding him a "devil."

Turkish media reported that Erdogan had "binned" the letter.&nbsp;

Erdogan said Friday the letter was not in line with "political and diplomatic courtesy... but our mutual love and respect does not allow us to keep it on the agenda."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Friday warned that Ankara would restart its operation against Kurdish forces in Syria on Tuesday evening if they do not withdraw from a "safe zone".

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Friday warned that Ankara would restart its operation against Kurdish forces in Syria on Tuesday evening if they do not withdraw from a "safe zone". After US Vice President Mike Pence came to Ankara for talks with Erdogan on Thursday, the NATO allies agreed Turkey would suspend its offensive for five days in northern Syria while Kurdish fighters withdraw from the area. "If the promises are kept until Tuesday evening, the safe zone issue will be resolved. If it fails, the operation... will start the minute 120 hours are over," Erdogan told reporters during a briefing in Istanbul. He said Turkish armed forces would remain in the region "because the security there requires this", adding that there had been no issues so far. But the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Friday there were Turkish air strikes on the village of Bab al-Kheir, east of Ras al-Ain on the border. The war monitor said five civilians were killed. Turkey launched the cross-border incursion on October 9 after repeatedly threatening to clear the border area from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia. While US President Donald Trump appeared to initially green light the offensive, he made repeated threats against Turkey, often in tweets, following international outrage. He then sent Pence and the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with other US officials to Ankara to thrash out a deal, which was announced on Thursday after hours of talks. Erdogan said the "safe zone" would be 32 kilometres (20 miles) deep, and 444 kilometres in length, "not between Kobane and Tal Abyad". He added that the region between the border towns of Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain had been cleared, "but this is not over. The process is ongoing." Just hours before the US-Turkey talks, a bizarre letter appeared in the US media from Trump to Erdogan, in which the US leader urged Erdogan not to be a "fool" and warned his Turkish counterpart that history risked branding him a "devil." Turkish media reported that Erdogan had "binned" the letter. Erdogan said Friday the letter was not in line with "political and diplomatic courtesy... but our mutual love and respect does not allow us to keep it on the agenda."

Erdogan threatens to restart Syria operation Tuesday if deal not respected

'Ceasefire' or a 'pause'? What happened when Washington, Ankara met over Syria offensive

Key developments in Turkey's offensive in Syria

Shelling and gunfire resounded around the northeast Syrian town of Ras al-Ain on Friday, a day after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-agrees-with-us-to-pause-syria-assault-while-kurds-withdraw-256571">Turkey agreed with the United States to pause its offensive in Syria</a> for five days to let Kurdish forces withdraw.

Machine-gun fire and shelling could be heard from the Turkish town of Ceylanpinar across the border from Ras al-Ain, and smoke rose from one part of the Syrian town.

The truce was announced some 13 hours earlier by US Vice President Mike Pence after talks in Ankara with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey agreed to the five-day pause to let the Kurdish-led SDF militia withdraw from a "safe zone" Ankara had sought to capture.

The deal was praised by US President Donald Trump, who said it would save "millions of lives," while Turkey cast it as a complete victory.

If implemented, the deal would achieve all the main objectives Turkey announced when it launched its assault on October 9, control of a strip of Syria more than 30 km (20 miles) deep, with the SDF forces - once US allies in the years-long fight against Islamic State - obliged to pull out.

Watch: Turkey-Syria conflict - Trump's flip flop baffles allies

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Republican and Democratic senators accused Trump of having betrayed the Kurdish allies who were vital in fighting Islamic State militants, of brushing aside the humanitarian costs of Turkey's invasion and of being outwitted by Ankara.

It was unclear whether there was&nbsp;any damage&nbsp;from the shelling heard on Friday.

It was also unclear whether the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) would fully comply with the agreement, which would leave Turkish forces in charge of a swathe of territory that the Kurds once held with US military support.

SDF commander Mazloum Kobani told Kurdish broadcaster Ronahi TV late on Thursday the group would accept the ceasefire agreement but said it was limited to the border areas running between Ras al-Ain and the town of Tal Abyad.

The joint US-Turkish statement released after the talks in Ankara said: "The safe zone will be primarily enforced by the Turkish Armed Forces."

It said Washington and Ankara would cooperate on handling Islamic State fighters and family members held in prisons and camps, a major international concern. Pence said US sanctions imposed on Tuesday would be lifted once the ceasefire became permanent.

In Washington, US senators who have criticised the Trump administration for failing to prevent the Turkish assault in the first place said on Thursday they would press ahead with legislation to impose sanctions against Turkey despite the ceasefire announcement.

A Turkish official told Reuters that Ankara got "exactly what we wanted" from the talks with the United States.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu described the deal as a pause, solely to allow the Kurdish fighters to withdraw. They would be forced to give up their heavy weapons and their positions would be destroyed, he said.

He declined to call the agreement a "ceasefire", saying ceasefires could be agreed only by legitimate sides, and not by a Kurdish militia that Turkey considers a terrorist group.

"When the terrorist elements completely leave the safe zone, we can stop the operation," Cavusoglu said on Thursday.

Humanitarian crisis

The Turkish assault began after Trump moved US troops out following an October 6 phone call with Erdogan.

It has created a new humanitarian crisis in Syria with - according to Red Cross estimates - 200,000 civilians taking flight, a security alert over thousands of Islamic State fighters potentially abandoned in Kurdish jails, and a political maelstrom at home for Trump.

The House of Representatives condemned his policy in a vote backed by a majority of his fellow Republicans as well as Democrats. Trump announced sanctions on Turkey on Tuesday, after the assault began, but critics said these were too little, too late.

If successful, the ceasefire deal could smooth over a major rift between the United States and Turkey, the only Muslim NATO ally.

But the US withdrawal also leaves US adversaries Russia and Iran in a far stronger position in Syria. The Kurds responded to the US withdrawal by effectively switching allegiances and inviting Syrian government forces, backed by Moscow and Tehran, into towns and cities in areas they control.

There could be friction both along the edges of the new safe zone claimed by Turkey, and within it, where Syrian government forces have advanced in recent days.

While Pence said Washington had already been in contact with the SDF and that it was already pulling out, the Kurdish position was not clear.

Kobani, the SDF commander, said the agreement was "just the beginning" and would not achieve Turkey's goals. Aldar Xelil, a leading Syrian Kurdish politician, said the Kurds would abide by the ceasefire but would defend themselves.

There was more uncertainty around the flashpoint Syrian border town of Kobani. Pence said the deal provided for Turkey not to engage in military operations there, while Cavusoglu said Turkey had given no commitments about Kobani.

US Special Representative for Syria Engagement, James Jeffrey, said late on Thursday the agreement covered central northeastern Syria, adding Turkey was in separate talks with the Russians and the Syrians about other parts of the region.

"We have a very (convoluted) situation with Russian, Syrian Army, Turkish, American, SDF and some Daesh (Islamic State) elements all floating around in a very wild way," he said. 
&nbsp;

Shelling and gunfire resounded around the northeast Syrian town of Ras al-Ain on Friday, a day after Turkey agreed with the United States to pause its offensive in Syria for five days to let Kurdish forces withdraw.

Shelling and gunfire resounded around the northeast Syrian town of Ras al-Ain on Friday, a day after Turkey agreed with the United States to pause its offensive in Syria for five days to let Kurdish forces withdraw. Machine-gun fire and shelling could be heard from the Turkish town of Ceylanpinar across the border from Ras al-Ain, and smoke rose from one part of the Syrian town. The truce was announced some 13 hours earlier by US Vice President Mike Pence after talks in Ankara with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey agreed to the five-day pause to let the Kurdish-led SDF militia withdraw from a "safe zone" Ankara had sought to capture. The deal was praised by US President Donald Trump, who said it would save "millions of lives," while Turkey cast it as a complete victory. If implemented, the deal would achieve all the main objectives Turkey announced when it launched its assault on October 9, control of a strip of Syria more than 30 km (20 miles) deep, with the SDF forces - once US allies in the years-long fight against Islamic State - obliged to pull out. Watch: Turkey-Syria conflict - Trump's flip flop baffles allies × Republican and Democratic senators accused Trump of having betrayed the Kurdish allies who were vital in fighting Islamic State militants, of brushing aside the humanitarian costs of Turkey's invasion and of being outwitted by Ankara. It was unclear whether there was any damage from the shelling heard on Friday. It was also unclear whether the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) would fully comply with the agreement, which would leave Turkish forces in charge of a swathe of territory that the Kurds once held with US military support. SDF commander Mazloum Kobani told Kurdish broadcaster Ronahi TV late on Thursday the group would accept the ceasefire agreement but said it was limited to the border areas running between Ras al-Ain and the town of Tal Abyad. The joint US-Turkish statement released after the talks in Ankara said: "The safe zone will be primarily enforced by the Turkish Armed Forces." It said Washington and Ankara would cooperate on handling Islamic State fighters and family members held in prisons and camps, a major international concern. Pence said US sanctions imposed on Tuesday would be lifted once the ceasefire became permanent. In Washington, US senators who have criticised the Trump administration for failing to prevent the Turkish assault in the first place said on Thursday they would press ahead with legislation to impose sanctions against Turkey despite the ceasefire announcement. A Turkish official told Reuters that Ankara got "exactly what we wanted" from the talks with the United States. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu described the deal as a pause, solely to allow the Kurdish fighters to withdraw. They would be forced to give up their heavy weapons and their positions would be destroyed, he said. He declined to call the agreement a "ceasefire", saying ceasefires could be agreed only by legitimate sides, and not by a Kurdish militia that Turkey considers a terrorist group. "When the terrorist elements completely leave the safe zone, we can stop the operation," Cavusoglu said on Thursday. Humanitarian crisis The Turkish assault began after Trump moved US troops out following an October 6 phone call with Erdogan. It has created a new humanitarian crisis in Syria with - according to Red Cross estimates - 200,000 civilians taking flight, a security alert over thousands of Islamic State fighters potentially abandoned in Kurdish jails, and a political maelstrom at home for Trump. The House of Representatives condemned his policy in a vote backed by a majority of his fellow Republicans as well as Democrats. Trump announced sanctions on Turkey on Tuesday, after the assault began, but critics said these were too little, too late. If successful, the ceasefire deal could smooth over a major rift between the United States and Turkey, the only Muslim NATO ally. But the US withdrawal also leaves US adversaries Russia and Iran in a far stronger position in Syria. The Kurds responded to the US withdrawal by effectively switching allegiances and inviting Syrian government forces, backed by Moscow and Tehran, into towns and cities in areas they control. There could be friction both along the edges of the new safe zone claimed by Turkey, and within it, where Syrian government forces have advanced in recent days. While Pence said Washington had already been in contact with the SDF and that it was already pulling out, the Kurdish position was not clear. Kobani, the SDF commander, said the agreement was "just the beginning" and would not achieve Turkey's goals. Aldar Xelil, a leading Syrian Kurdish politician, said the Kurds would abide by the ceasefire but would defend themselves. There was more uncertainty around the flashpoint Syrian border town of Kobani. Pence said the deal provided for Turkey not to engage in military operations there, while Cavusoglu said Turkey had given no commitments about Kobani. US Special Representative for Syria Engagement, James Jeffrey, said late on Thursday the agreement covered central northeastern Syria, adding Turkey was in separate talks with the Russians and the Syrians about other parts of the region. "We have a very (convoluted) situation with Russian, Syrian Army, Turkish, American, SDF and some Daesh (Islamic State) elements all floating around in a very wild way," he said.

Shelling heard around Syrian town after Turkish-US ceasefire deal

Turkish Offensive Escalates In Syria. #Gravitas

Gravitas: Syrian Crisis, 'the' Letter From Trump & More

US President Donald Trump&nbsp;on Thursday announced a ceasefire in Syria.

Trump took to Twitter and&nbsp;thanked Turkish President Erdogan adding that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-assault-in-northeast-syria-displaced-300000-monitor-256435">millions of lives will be saved</a> after the deal.

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Great news out of Turkey. News Conference shortly with <a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/SecPompeo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecPompeo</a>. Thank you to <a href="https://twitter.com/RTErdogan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RTErdogan</a>. Millions of lives will be saved!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1184884179751731200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Trump said, "Turkey had agreed to no-military action" and the US would not impose any sanctions on Turkey.

The Turkish military has decided to pause for five days.

US said the&nbsp;two countries were committed to defeating the Islamic State.

Earlier White House had said that Trump may revoke the invitation to host Erdogan depending on Ankara talks.

The development has come after US Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-mike-pence-and-mike-pompeo-head-to-turkey-seeking-ceasefire-256457">visited Turkey seeking to secure a ceasefire </a>in the Turkish invasion of northern Syria.

Turkey and its Syrian proxies launched a broad assault on Kurdish-controlled areas on October 9, after US troops pulled back from the border and started withdrawing from the northeast altogether.

Turkey's week-old offensive against Kurdish-controlled areas of northeastern Syria has displaced more than 300,000 people, a war monitor stated.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced a ceasefire in Syria. Trump took to Twitter and thanked Turkish President Erdogan adding that millions of lives will be saved after the deal.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced a ceasefire in Syria. Trump took to Twitter and thanked Turkish President Erdogan adding that millions of lives will be saved after the deal. Great news out of Turkey. News Conference shortly with @VP and @SecPompeo. Thank you to @RTErdogan. Millions of lives will be saved! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 17, 2019 × Trump said, "Turkey had agreed to no-military action" and the US would not impose any sanctions on Turkey. The Turkish military has decided to pause for five days. US said the two countries were committed to defeating the Islamic State. Earlier White House had said that Trump may revoke the invitation to host Erdogan depending on Ankara talks. The development has come after US Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Turkey seeking to secure a ceasefire in the Turkish invasion of northern Syria. Turkey and its Syrian proxies launched a broad assault on Kurdish-controlled areas on October 9, after US troops pulled back from the border and started withdrawing from the northeast altogether. Turkey's week-old offensive against Kurdish-controlled areas of northeastern Syria has displaced more than 300,000 people, a war monitor stated.

Millions of lives will be saved, says Trump as US-Turkey reach ceasefire in Syria

Syrian refugees started arriving in Bardarash Camp in Duhok Governorate, northern Iraq, on 15 Oct as UN agencies reported deaths on both sides of the border between Northeast Syria and Turkey.

Syrians flee to Iraqi Kurdish region

Russian military police started patrolling streets of the Syrian town of Manbij, one day after U.S. troops withdrew from the city. Watch this video to know more.

Russian troops patrol Syrian towns

Syrian forces on Wednesday night rolled into the strategic border town of Kobani, blocking one path for the Turkish military to establish a "safe zone" free of Syrian Kurdish fighters along the frontier as part of its week-old offensive.

Syrian troops capture Kobani town, blocks turkish advance

The Islamic State group said Thursday it had "freed" women held by Syria's Kurds, the latest in a series of reported breakouts since Turkey launched a cross-border offensive last week.

In a statement released on the Telegram messaging application, IS said it had stormed a security headquarters west of its former stronghold of Raqa on Wednesday, "freeing Muslim women kidnapped" by Kurdish forces.

It did not give a number or say if the women were IS members or wives of jihadists.

Separately three former IS fighters originally from the Gaza Strip escaped a Kurdish detention centre near Tal Abyad close to the Syrian-Turkish border, a source in a political faction in Gaza said.

The three, two of whom were members of the military wing of Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas before joining the more militant IS, called their families Wednesday following their escape but said they did not intend to return home, the source said.

The prospect that thousands of the world's most fanatic jihadists could break out in the chaos caused by Turkey's invasion of northeastern Syria is causing widespread alarm.

European governments fear it could lead to a resurgence of the group that has wreaked havoc through attacks in the West and formerly controlled parts of Syria and Iraq.

According to the Kurds hundreds of IS relatives have already tried to escape since Ankara launched its offensive on October 9.

On Sunday, Kurdish authorities said nearly 800 relatives of foreign jihadists had escaped from a Kurdish-run displacement camp in the northern Syrian town of Ain Issa.&nbsp;

At least three French women who had left the camp have since joined up with IS, according to messages they sent to their lawyer, seen by AFP.

Five IS jihadists escaped from a prison near the northeastern city of Qamishli last week, according to Kurdish forces.

On Tuesday, a breakout attempt was foiled in the infamous Al-Hol camp, which is so overcrowded that wardens are struggling to control riot.

According to the Kurdish administration, there are around 12,000 suspected IS fighters in the custody of Kurdish security forces across prisons in northeastern Syria.

At least 2,500 of them are non-Iraqi foreigners of more than 50 different nationalities. Tunisia is thought to have the biggest contingent.

The detained fighters have thousands of relatives -- mostly women and children -- held in displacement camps.

Al-Hol alone holds 68,000 prisoners, mostly relatives of current or former IS members, according to the United Nations.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said Wednesday they were suspending operations against IS.

"We have frozen all our actions against Daesh," SDF head Mazloum Abdi told Kurdish television channel Ronahi, using an Arabic acronym for the jihadists.

The SDF, which helped defeat IS with the support of the US-led coalition, said it would only carry out defensive operations. 
&nbsp;

The Islamic State group said Thursday it had "freed" women held by Syria's Kurds, the latest in a series of reported breakouts since Turkey launched a cross-border offensive last week.

The Islamic State group said Thursday it had "freed" women held by Syria's Kurds, the latest in a series of reported breakouts since Turkey launched a cross-border offensive last week. In a statement released on the Telegram messaging application, IS said it had stormed a security headquarters west of its former stronghold of Raqa on Wednesday, "freeing Muslim women kidnapped" by Kurdish forces. It did not give a number or say if the women were IS members or wives of jihadists. Separately three former IS fighters originally from the Gaza Strip escaped a Kurdish detention centre near Tal Abyad close to the Syrian-Turkish border, a source in a political faction in Gaza said. The three, two of whom were members of the military wing of Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas before joining the more militant IS, called their families Wednesday following their escape but said they did not intend to return home, the source said. The prospect that thousands of the world's most fanatic jihadists could break out in the chaos caused by Turkey's invasion of northeastern Syria is causing widespread alarm. European governments fear it could lead to a resurgence of the group that has wreaked havoc through attacks in the West and formerly controlled parts of Syria and Iraq. According to the Kurds hundreds of IS relatives have already tried to escape since Ankara launched its offensive on October 9. On Sunday, Kurdish authorities said nearly 800 relatives of foreign jihadists had escaped from a Kurdish-run displacement camp in the northern Syrian town of Ain Issa. At least three French women who had left the camp have since joined up with IS, according to messages they sent to their lawyer, seen by AFP. Five IS jihadists escaped from a prison near the northeastern city of Qamishli last week, according to Kurdish forces. On Tuesday, a breakout attempt was foiled in the infamous Al-Hol camp, which is so overcrowded that wardens are struggling to control riot. According to the Kurdish administration, there are around 12,000 suspected IS fighters in the custody of Kurdish security forces across prisons in northeastern Syria. At least 2,500 of them are non-Iraqi foreigners of more than 50 different nationalities. Tunisia is thought to have the biggest contingent. The detained fighters have thousands of relatives -- mostly women and children -- held in displacement camps. Al-Hol alone holds 68,000 prisoners, mostly relatives of current or former IS members, according to the United Nations. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said Wednesday they were suspending operations against IS. "We have frozen all our actions against Daesh," SDF head Mazloum Abdi told Kurdish television channel Ronahi, using an Arabic acronym for the jihadists. The SDF, which helped defeat IS with the support of the US-led coalition, said it would only carry out defensive operations.

IS says 'freed' women held by Syrian Kurds

"Don't be a fool," Donald Trump warned his counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an extraordinary letter sent the day<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-assault-in-northeast-syria-displaced-300000-monitor-256435"> Turkey launched</a> its incursion into northeastern Syria -- warning history risked branding him a "devil."

Three days after appearing to greenlight an invasion by pulling US troops from the Kurdish-dominated region, Trump told the Turkish president he would wreck Ankara's economy if the invasion went too far.

In language shorn of diplomatic niceties, Trump began with an outright threat.

<img alt="trump-letter" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="45fd2603-c0a5-4350-bd70-5ae3a0607c2a" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Trump%20letter.jpg" />

"Let's work out a good deal," Trump wrote in the letter dated October 9, whose authenticity was confirmed to AFP by the White House.

"You don't want to be responsible for slaughtering thousands of people, and I don't want to be responsible for destroying the Turkish economy, and I will."

"History will look upon you favourably if you get this done the right and humane way," Trump said. "It will look upon you forever as the devil if good things don't happen."

The US leader told Erdogan a "great deal" was possible if he negotiated with the head of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi, whom Turkey has labelled a "terrorist" for his ties to the Kurdish PKK militants in Turkey.

"Don't be a tough guy. Don't be a fool," he finished, adding: "I will call you later."

"Don't be a fool," Donald Trump warned his counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an extraordinary letter sent the day Turkey launched its incursion into northeastern Syria -- warning history risked branding him a "devil.

"Don't be a fool," Donald Trump warned his counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an extraordinary letter sent the day Turkey launched its incursion into northeastern Syria -- warning history risked branding him a "devil." Three days after appearing to greenlight an invasion by pulling US troops from the Kurdish-dominated region, Trump told the Turkish president he would wreck Ankara's economy if the invasion went too far. In language shorn of diplomatic niceties, Trump began with an outright threat. "Let's work out a good deal," Trump wrote in the letter dated October 9, whose authenticity was confirmed to AFP by the White House. "You don't want to be responsible for slaughtering thousands of people, and I don't want to be responsible for destroying the Turkish economy, and I will." "History will look upon you favourably if you get this done the right and humane way," Trump said. "It will look upon you forever as the devil if good things don't happen." The US leader told Erdogan a "great deal" was possible if he negotiated with the head of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi, whom Turkey has labelled a "terrorist" for his ties to the Kurdish PKK militants in Turkey. "Don't be a tough guy. Don't be a fool," he finished, adding: "I will call you later."

'Don't be a fool': US President Trump tells Turkish President Erdogan in threatening letter

By Kerstin Carlson

For more than a year, European powers have dallied over the question of what to do with the tens of thousands of Islamic State (IS) fighters and adherents captured following the fall of the so-called caliphate in Syria and Iraq.

Now the US decision to withdraw troops and Turkey’s subsequent invasion of northern Syria on October 9 means the West has lost the luxury of inaction.

Since IS’s territorial defeat in March 2019, camps housing “IS families” and other displaced persons have swollen far in excess of their capacity. In Syria, the largest camp, Al-Hawl, exceeds 70,000 people.

The Turkish offensive has drawn the resources of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces away from guarding the camps. Predictably, detainees have been escaping. On October 14, more than 700 IS adherents (men, women, and children, although reportedly no fighters) escaped the Ain Issa camp in Syria. The US had attempted to move 60 “high value” IS prisoners before its troops withdrew, but failed. Expect more escapes, including of IS fighters, in the days and weeks to come.

Repatriation

Prior to the Turkish invasion, European nations had been wringing their hands, but doing little else, regarding the problem of foreign and other citizens in detention in Syria and Iraq. It’s estimated that 40,000 foreign fighters, including 6,000 western Europeans, travelled to Syria and Iraq to join the group.

The two options most hotly debated regarding European citizens were repatriation and trials on site, where the detainees are being held. What to do with Iraqi and Syrian citizens was to be left to Iraq and Syria.

Of the two options, repatriation of nationals is the right choice. European countries, however, have equivocated. Europe does not want these citizens, understood as traitorous at best, dangerous at worst. The notion of danger includes even very small children, who some argue should be understood as “radicalised” or “cubs of the caliphate,” irreparably marked by the violence and indoctrination they have experienced.

This narrative has taken precedence over the reports regarding the inhumane conditions in the camps in Syria: overflowing sewage leaking into tents, worms in the water, extreme weather conditions resulting in death, particularly for babies and young children. The case of Shamima Begum, who left the UK as a 15-year-old to join IS and whose citizenship was later revoked by the British government, is a stark example of this. Her baby died a few weeks after he was born in the al-Roj camp in March 2019.

Britain is not alone: Most European countries refuse to repatriate citizens picked up in Syria and Iraq, or even, in fact, to count or identify them. Only a few exceptional repatriation instances exist, including a handful of French and Dutch orphans and a large mixed group of people including children to Germany. Kosovo and Kazakstan have been open to repatriation and Turkey and Russia have taken some orphans. In June, the Kurds released 800 detainees back to their families in Syria.

Repatriated IS fighters and adherents would stand trial in their home countries under domestic criminal law.

IS tribunals

A second option, trials on site for IS adherents regardless of citizenship, was gaining momentum prior to the Turkish invasion, with several countries promoting the idea of an international tribunal. The idea of constructing an ad hoc tribunal in the region promised to solve the detainee impasse for Western countries and the SDF.

But there are several problems with such an option. First, because the SDF is not an official government but rather provisionally in charge of territory in Syria, an ad hoc court with international support could not be set up in the Kurdish area of northern Syria. This leaves Iraq as the likely site. Constructing such an international tribunal in Iraq for IS adherents was the topic of a meeting held between Britain, France, Germany and three other countries in Copenhagen on October 11. On the table is a hybrid structure, involving both international and Iraqi judges.

But an ad hoc tribunal in Iraq would need to contend with Iraqi law, which allows the death penalty, as well as the deeply problematic Iraqi trials already underway of IS affiliates. For the past several years, the Iraqi government has been subjecting IS fighters and affiliates to what can only be called sham trials. Trials average ten minutes, and many defendants will not have met their defence attorney – who is paid $25 per case – before the trial.

Punishment for IS affiliation includes life in prison when judges are lenient, but can also bring death by hanging. Iraqi courts have issued hundreds of death sentences, including against foreign nationals, although it’s not clear if any have yet been carried out.

What kind of justice? 
 
Internationally financed courts will not hand out death sentences – even life imprisonment is a sentence rarely pronounced by international or hybrid criminal courts. Gross violations of procedural rights are also unpalatable for Western-run institutions. But the numbers of detainees in prison prior to the Turkish offensive as well as the dearth of information regarding what crimes they have committed beyond affiliation with IS mean that rights-respecting court processes will take huge resources and could be inconclusive.

Any just tribunal would release most of the convicted prisoners within, at most, a few years if jail terms are to conform to widely accepted humanitarian standards. This would simply defer by a few years the question of what in fact should be done with IS affiliates – where should they live and where do they belong?

In early 2019, the Kurds set up trials for IS adherents in Kurdish-administered areas of Iraq and Syria, as an antidote to flawed Iraqi justice. Defence counsel was provided and sentences were capped at 20 years: rehabilitation, not revenge, was the goal, one judge told a journalist for NPR. This promising development may be one more casualty of the changed circumstances on the ground.

The first, still best, option – repatriation of foreign nationals – is arguably a quickly closing window. Even then, questions would remain about what should happen to Iraqi and Syrian nationals, and what role the West should play in resolving their situation. But European powers must avoid taking the third option they’d been exercising by default – doing nothing, and waiting for circumstances to change.

(Kerstin Carlson is Associate Professor International Law, University of Southern Denmark) 
 
(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/western-states-must-repatriate-is-fighters-and-their-families-before-more-break-free-from-syrian-camps-125168">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp; 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

By Kerstin Carlson For more than a year, European powers have dallied over the question of what to do with the tens of thousands of Islamic State (IS) fighters and adherents captured following the fall of the so-called caliphate in Syria and Iraq.

By Kerstin Carlson For more than a year, European powers have dallied over the question of what to do with the tens of thousands of Islamic State (IS) fighters and adherents captured following the fall of the so-called caliphate in Syria and Iraq. Now the US decision to withdraw troops and Turkey’s subsequent invasion of northern Syria on October 9 means the West has lost the luxury of inaction. Since IS’s territorial defeat in March 2019, camps housing “IS families” and other displaced persons have swollen far in excess of their capacity. In Syria, the largest camp, Al-Hawl, exceeds 70,000 people. The Turkish offensive has drawn the resources of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces away from guarding the camps. Predictably, detainees have been escaping. On October 14, more than 700 IS adherents (men, women, and children, although reportedly no fighters) escaped the Ain Issa camp in Syria. The US had attempted to move 60 “high value” IS prisoners before its troops withdrew, but failed. Expect more escapes, including of IS fighters, in the days and weeks to come. Repatriation Prior to the Turkish invasion, European nations had been wringing their hands, but doing little else, regarding the problem of foreign and other citizens in detention in Syria and Iraq. It’s estimated that 40,000 foreign fighters, including 6,000 western Europeans, travelled to Syria and Iraq to join the group. The two options most hotly debated regarding European citizens were repatriation and trials on site, where the detainees are being held. What to do with Iraqi and Syrian citizens was to be left to Iraq and Syria. Of the two options, repatriation of nationals is the right choice. European countries, however, have equivocated. Europe does not want these citizens, understood as traitorous at best, dangerous at worst. The notion of danger includes even very small children, who some argue should be understood as “radicalised” or “cubs of the caliphate,” irreparably marked by the violence and indoctrination they have experienced. This narrative has taken precedence over the reports regarding the inhumane conditions in the camps in Syria: overflowing sewage leaking into tents, worms in the water, extreme weather conditions resulting in death, particularly for babies and young children. The case of Shamima Begum, who left the UK as a 15-year-old to join IS and whose citizenship was later revoked by the British government, is a stark example of this. Her baby died a few weeks after he was born in the al-Roj camp in March 2019. Britain is not alone: Most European countries refuse to repatriate citizens picked up in Syria and Iraq, or even, in fact, to count or identify them. Only a few exceptional repatriation instances exist, including a handful of French and Dutch orphans and a large mixed group of people including children to Germany. Kosovo and Kazakstan have been open to repatriation and Turkey and Russia have taken some orphans. In June, the Kurds released 800 detainees back to their families in Syria. Repatriated IS fighters and adherents would stand trial in their home countries under domestic criminal law. IS tribunals A second option, trials on site for IS adherents regardless of citizenship, was gaining momentum prior to the Turkish invasion, with several countries promoting the idea of an international tribunal. The idea of constructing an ad hoc tribunal in the region promised to solve the detainee impasse for Western countries and the SDF. But there are several problems with such an option. First, because the SDF is not an official government but rather provisionally in charge of territory in Syria, an ad hoc court with international support could not be set up in the Kurdish area of northern Syria. This leaves Iraq as the likely site. Constructing such an international tribunal in Iraq for IS adherents was the topic of a meeting held between Britain, France, Germany and three other countries in Copenhagen on October 11. On the table is a hybrid structure, involving both international and Iraqi judges. But an ad hoc tribunal in Iraq would need to contend with Iraqi law, which allows the death penalty, as well as the deeply problematic Iraqi trials already underway of IS affiliates. For the past several years, the Iraqi government has been subjecting IS fighters and affiliates to what can only be called sham trials. Trials average ten minutes, and many defendants will not have met their defence attorney – who is paid $25 per case – before the trial. Punishment for IS affiliation includes life in prison when judges are lenient, but can also bring death by hanging. Iraqi courts have issued hundreds of death sentences, including against foreign nationals, although it’s not clear if any have yet been carried out. What kind of justice? Internationally financed courts will not hand out death sentences – even life imprisonment is a sentence rarely pronounced by international or hybrid criminal courts. Gross violations of procedural rights are also unpalatable for Western-run institutions. But the numbers of detainees in prison prior to the Turkish offensive as well as the dearth of information regarding what crimes they have committed beyond affiliation with IS mean that rights-respecting court processes will take huge resources and could be inconclusive. Any just tribunal would release most of the convicted prisoners within, at most, a few years if jail terms are to conform to widely accepted humanitarian standards. This would simply defer by a few years the question of what in fact should be done with IS affiliates – where should they live and where do they belong? In early 2019, the Kurds set up trials for IS adherents in Kurdish-administered areas of Iraq and Syria, as an antidote to flawed Iraqi justice. Defence counsel was provided and sentences were capped at 20 years: rehabilitation, not revenge, was the goal, one judge told a journalist for NPR. This promising development may be one more casualty of the changed circumstances on the ground. The first, still best, option – repatriation of foreign nationals – is arguably a quickly closing window. Even then, questions would remain about what should happen to Iraqi and Syrian nationals, and what role the West should play in resolving their situation. But European powers must avoid taking the third option they’d been exercising by default – doing nothing, and waiting for circumstances to change. (Kerstin Carlson is Associate Professor International Law, University of Southern Denmark) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Western states must repatriate IS fighters before more break free from Syrian camps

Russia called Turkey's military incursion into northeast <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-pushes-offensive-in-syria-despite-sanctions-and-calls-to-stop-256184">Syria "unacceptable"</a> and said the operation had to be limited in time and scale, a rare broadside that suggests Moscow's patience with Ankara is wearing thin.

In Russia's strongest criticism since Turkey launched its military operation last week, President Vladimir Putin's envoy for Syria indicated Moscow wanted Ankara to wrap up its offensive soon.

"We didn't agree with the Turks any questions about their presence in Syria and we don't approve of their actions," envoy Alexander Lavrentiev told reporters in Abu Dhabi during an official visit there by Putin.

He said Turkish troops had the right under an agreement struck between Damascus and Ankara in 1998, the Adana pact, to temporarily push up to a maximum of 10 km (6 miles) into Syria to conduct counter-terrorism operations.

"But it doesn't give them (Turkish troops) the right to remain on Syrian territory permanently and we are opposed to Turkish troops staying on Syrian territory permanently," he said.

Lavrentiev made his comments as Turkey pressed ahead with its offensive in northern Syria despite US&nbsp;sanctions and growing calls for it to stop, while Syria's Russia-backed army moved on the key city of Manbij that was abandoned by US&nbsp;forces.

The Kremlin said late on Tuesday that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan had phoned Putin. The Russian leader had used the call to complain about the humanitarian situation on the Turkish-Syrian border and had stressed the need to avoid a clash between Turkish and Syrian forces, it said.

Putin had told Erdogan that the situation whereby Islamic State prisoners being held in custody by Syrian Kurds were exploiting the chaos by trying to escape was unacceptable, the Kremlin said.

Putin had also invited Erdogan to visit Russia in the coming days for urgent talks, a proposal Ankara had accepted, it added.

Lavrentiev, Putin's Syria envoy, earlier on Tuesday told Russian news agencies that Moscow had always considered any kind of Turkish military operation on Syrian territory unacceptable.

His comments, which suggest growing tensions between Turkey and Russia, came a day after the Kremlin complained that Turkey's incursion was "not exactly" compatible with Syrian territorial integrity.

"The security of the Turkish-Syrian border must be ensured by the deployment of Syrian government troops along its entire length," said Lavrentiev. "That's why we never spoke in favour or supported the idea of Turkish units (being deployed there) let alone the armed Syrian opposition."

Lavrentiev said Turkey's actions risked upsetting delicate religious sensitivities in northern Syria.

In particular, he said the area was populated by Kurds, Arabs and Sunnis who would not take kindly to their lands being resettled by people who had never lived there, a reference to Turkey's plan to house refugees from other parts of Syria there.

Lavrentiev confirmed that Russia had brokered an agreement between the Syrian government and Kurdish forces that saw the Kurds cede control of territory to Syrian troops.

Those talks had taken place at Russia's Hmeimim air base in Syria among other places, he said.

Russia's influence in Syria and the Middle East is widely seen to have been boosted in the last week thanks to Washington scaling back its Syria operation and the Syrian Kurds striking a deal with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Moscow's closest ally in the region.

Lavrentiev said Moscow was hoping that the United States would withdraw all of its forces from Syria. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu spoke to his US&nbsp;counterpart about Syria on Tuesday evening.

Russian military police are patrolling the line of contact between Syrian and Turkish government troops.

Lavrentiev estimated there were around 12,000 Islamic State prisoners being held in northeast Syria.

Russia called Turkey's military incursion into northeast Syria "unacceptable" and said the operation had to be limited in time and scale, a rare broadside that suggests Moscow's patience with Ankara is wearing thin.

Russia called Turkey's military incursion into northeast Syria "unacceptable" and said the operation had to be limited in time and scale, a rare broadside that suggests Moscow's patience with Ankara is wearing thin. In Russia's strongest criticism since Turkey launched its military operation last week, President Vladimir Putin's envoy for Syria indicated Moscow wanted Ankara to wrap up its offensive soon. "We didn't agree with the Turks any questions about their presence in Syria and we don't approve of their actions," envoy Alexander Lavrentiev told reporters in Abu Dhabi during an official visit there by Putin. He said Turkish troops had the right under an agreement struck between Damascus and Ankara in 1998, the Adana pact, to temporarily push up to a maximum of 10 km (6 miles) into Syria to conduct counter-terrorism operations. "But it doesn't give them (Turkish troops) the right to remain on Syrian territory permanently and we are opposed to Turkish troops staying on Syrian territory permanently," he said. Lavrentiev made his comments as Turkey pressed ahead with its offensive in northern Syria despite US sanctions and growing calls for it to stop, while Syria's Russia-backed army moved on the key city of Manbij that was abandoned by US forces. The Kremlin said late on Tuesday that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan had phoned Putin. The Russian leader had used the call to complain about the humanitarian situation on the Turkish-Syrian border and had stressed the need to avoid a clash between Turkish and Syrian forces, it said. Putin had told Erdogan that the situation whereby Islamic State prisoners being held in custody by Syrian Kurds were exploiting the chaos by trying to escape was unacceptable, the Kremlin said. Putin had also invited Erdogan to visit Russia in the coming days for urgent talks, a proposal Ankara had accepted, it added. Lavrentiev, Putin's Syria envoy, earlier on Tuesday told Russian news agencies that Moscow had always considered any kind of Turkish military operation on Syrian territory unacceptable. His comments, which suggest growing tensions between Turkey and Russia, came a day after the Kremlin complained that Turkey's incursion was "not exactly" compatible with Syrian territorial integrity. "The security of the Turkish-Syrian border must be ensured by the deployment of Syrian government troops along its entire length," said Lavrentiev. "That's why we never spoke in favour or supported the idea of Turkish units (being deployed there) let alone the armed Syrian opposition." Lavrentiev said Turkey's actions risked upsetting delicate religious sensitivities in northern Syria. In particular, he said the area was populated by Kurds, Arabs and Sunnis who would not take kindly to their lands being resettled by people who had never lived there, a reference to Turkey's plan to house refugees from other parts of Syria there. Lavrentiev confirmed that Russia had brokered an agreement between the Syrian government and Kurdish forces that saw the Kurds cede control of territory to Syrian troops. Those talks had taken place at Russia's Hmeimim air base in Syria among other places, he said. Russia's influence in Syria and the Middle East is widely seen to have been boosted in the last week thanks to Washington scaling back its Syria operation and the Syrian Kurds striking a deal with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Moscow's closest ally in the region. Lavrentiev said Moscow was hoping that the United States would withdraw all of its forces from Syria. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu spoke to his US counterpart about Syria on Tuesday evening. Russian military police are patrolling the line of contact between Syrian and Turkish government troops. Lavrentiev estimated there were around 12,000 Islamic State prisoners being held in northeast Syria.

We don't approve of Turkish actions in Syria: Russia

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