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

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.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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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;

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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

US Vice President Mike Pence departs for Turkey, seeking to halt a weeklong assault on Syrian Kurds begun after President Donald Trump withdrew U.S. forces from northern Syria.

US delegations head to Turkey

Turkey rebuffed international pressure to curb its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/strategically-brilliant-trump-defends-syria-pullout-condemned-by-house-in-bipartisan-vote-256357">deadly offensive against Kurdish forces</a> in Syria on Wednesday as US President Donald Trump dispatched his deputy Mike Pence to Ankara to demand a ceasefire.

But President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed that Turkey's operation -- which has been facilitated by the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria -- would continue.

On another front, Kurdish forces struck a desperate deal with Damascus and stepped aside to allow Syrian regime troops and allied Russian soldiers enter the border town of Kobane on Wednesday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Kobane is a highly symbolic town for Syria's Kurds, whose forces had in 2015 wrested the town from Islamic State (IS) group control in an epic battle backed by the US-led coalition.

Days after US troops abruptly began withdrawing, clashes continued across the region on Thursday, with Kurdish fighters in the border town of Ras al-Ain burning tyres in a bid to blind Ankara's warplanes and digging in against a ground offensive by Turkish-backed Syrian rebels.

Watch: China's game-plan in Syria

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The Turkish operation, now in its second week, has triggered a flurry of diplomacy among major powers.

Trump sent Pence along with his top diplomat Mike Pompeo to Turkey amid the greatest crisis in relations for decades between the NATO allies, with talks due in Ankara early Thursday.&nbsp;

Facing a barrage of criticism in Washington for abandoning the Kurds, Trump has slapped sanctions on three Turkish ministers and raised tariffs on its steel industry.

Pence's office said the US would pursue "punishing economic sanctions" unless there was "an immediate ceasefire".

"Don't be a fool," Trump warned Erdogan in an extraordinary letter sent the day Turkey launched its incursion into northeastern Syria -- warning history risked branding him a "devil."

In language shorn of diplomatic niceties Trump began the letter, dated October 9, with an outright threat.

"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." he wrote in the missive, whose authenticity was confirmed to AFP by the White House.

But Erdogan told the Turkish parliament that the only way to solve Syria's problems was for the Kurdish forces to "lay down their arms... destroy all their traps and get out of the safe zone that we have designated."

Trump says Kurds 'protected'

Trump again dismissed the idea that pulling out 1,000 troops -- practically the entire US contingent in the region -- had been a betrayal of Kurdish militants who bore the brunt of the fight against IS in recent years.&nbsp;

"The Kurds are very well protected," Trump told reporters at the White House. "By the way, they are not angels."

Trump also said he believed the Kurdish PKK are "more dangerous of a terrorist threat" than IS, echoing Erdogan's rhetoric.

Ankara says Syria's main Kurdish force, the People's Protection Units (YPG), is a "terrorist" offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged a bloody insurgency inside Turkey since 1984.

Moscow has stepped into the void left by the US withdrawal, deploying patrols to prevent clashes between Syrian and Turkish forces.

The Kremlin and the Turkish presidency said Erdogan would meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the coming days, as both sides seek to prevent a war between Turkey and Syria.

The Turkish government can count on widespread support for its operation at home, where a decades-long bloody insurgency by Kurdish militants has killed tens of thousands of people.

But Western powers fear it will endanger the battle against IS. Thousands of IS prisoners are held in Kurdish-run camps in the region.

Europe has taken an increasingly tough line with Turkey and several countries, including Britain, France and Germany, have imposed arms embargoes on Turkey over the operation.&nbsp;

Jihadist fears

The UN Security Council warned in a unanimously adopted statement of a risk of "dispersion" of jihadist prisoners but stopped short of calling for an end to Turkey's offensive.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said Wednesday it was "freezing" operations against IS.

The force's head Mazloum Abdi told Kurdish television channel Ronahi it would make do with "defensive" operations against the group, which maintains sleeper cells and a presence in Syria's vast desert despite its territorial defeat.

Since launching their assault on October 9, Turkey and its Syrian rebel proxies have secured more than 100 kilometres (60 miles) of the border, but Ras al-Ain has held out.

Erdogan wants to create a buffer zone stretching 30 kilometres from the border into Syrian territory.

He wants to destroy Kurdish hopes of an autonomous enclave that could serve as a launchpad for attacks in Turkey, and to resettle some of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees Ankara is hosting.

The offensive has left dozens of civilians dead, mostly on the Kurdish side, and displaced at least 160,000 people.

Hundreds of Syrian Kurds entered neighbouring Iraqi's Kurdish autonomous region Wednesday, mostly women and children.

Turkey rebuffed international pressure to curb its deadly offensive against Kurdish forces in Syria on Wednesday as US President Donald Trump dispatched his deputy Mike Pence to Ankara to demand a ceasefire.

Turkey rebuffed international pressure to curb its deadly offensive against Kurdish forces in Syria on Wednesday as US President Donald Trump dispatched his deputy Mike Pence to Ankara to demand a ceasefire. But President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed that Turkey's operation -- which has been facilitated by the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria -- would continue. On another front, Kurdish forces struck a desperate deal with Damascus and stepped aside to allow Syrian regime troops and allied Russian soldiers enter the border town of Kobane on Wednesday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Kobane is a highly symbolic town for Syria's Kurds, whose forces had in 2015 wrested the town from Islamic State (IS) group control in an epic battle backed by the US-led coalition. Days after US troops abruptly began withdrawing, clashes continued across the region on Thursday, with Kurdish fighters in the border town of Ras al-Ain burning tyres in a bid to blind Ankara's warplanes and digging in against a ground offensive by Turkish-backed Syrian rebels. Watch: China's game-plan in Syria × The Turkish operation, now in its second week, has triggered a flurry of diplomacy among major powers. Trump sent Pence along with his top diplomat Mike Pompeo to Turkey amid the greatest crisis in relations for decades between the NATO allies, with talks due in Ankara early Thursday. Facing a barrage of criticism in Washington for abandoning the Kurds, Trump has slapped sanctions on three Turkish ministers and raised tariffs on its steel industry. Pence's office said the US would pursue "punishing economic sanctions" unless there was "an immediate ceasefire". "Don't be a fool," Trump warned Erdogan in an extraordinary letter sent the day Turkey launched its incursion into northeastern Syria -- warning history risked branding him a "devil." In language shorn of diplomatic niceties Trump began the letter, dated October 9, with an outright threat. "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." he wrote in the missive, whose authenticity was confirmed to AFP by the White House. But Erdogan told the Turkish parliament that the only way to solve Syria's problems was for the Kurdish forces to "lay down their arms... destroy all their traps and get out of the safe zone that we have designated." Trump says Kurds 'protected' Trump again dismissed the idea that pulling out 1,000 troops -- practically the entire US contingent in the region -- had been a betrayal of Kurdish militants who bore the brunt of the fight against IS in recent years. "The Kurds are very well protected," Trump told reporters at the White House. "By the way, they are not angels." Trump also said he believed the Kurdish PKK are "more dangerous of a terrorist threat" than IS, echoing Erdogan's rhetoric. Ankara says Syria's main Kurdish force, the People's Protection Units (YPG), is a "terrorist" offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged a bloody insurgency inside Turkey since 1984. Moscow has stepped into the void left by the US withdrawal, deploying patrols to prevent clashes between Syrian and Turkish forces. The Kremlin and the Turkish presidency said Erdogan would meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the coming days, as both sides seek to prevent a war between Turkey and Syria. The Turkish government can count on widespread support for its operation at home, where a decades-long bloody insurgency by Kurdish militants has killed tens of thousands of people. But Western powers fear it will endanger the battle against IS. Thousands of IS prisoners are held in Kurdish-run camps in the region. Europe has taken an increasingly tough line with Turkey and several countries, including Britain, France and Germany, have imposed arms embargoes on Turkey over the operation. Jihadist fears The UN Security Council warned in a unanimously adopted statement of a risk of "dispersion" of jihadist prisoners but stopped short of calling for an end to Turkey's offensive. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said Wednesday it was "freezing" operations against IS. The force's head Mazloum Abdi told Kurdish television channel Ronahi it would make do with "defensive" operations against the group, which maintains sleeper cells and a presence in Syria's vast desert despite its territorial defeat. Since launching their assault on October 9, Turkey and its Syrian rebel proxies have secured more than 100 kilometres (60 miles) of the border, but Ras al-Ain has held out. Erdogan wants to create a buffer zone stretching 30 kilometres from the border into Syrian territory. He wants to destroy Kurdish hopes of an autonomous enclave that could serve as a launchpad for attacks in Turkey, and to resettle some of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees Ankara is hosting. The offensive has left dozens of civilians dead, mostly on the Kurdish side, and displaced at least 160,000 people. Hundreds of Syrian Kurds entered neighbouring Iraqi's Kurdish autonomous region Wednesday, mostly women and children.

Turkey defiant on Syria offensive as US demands ceasefire

U.S.-Turkey meeting begins in Ankara. Watch this video to know more. WION's West Asia Bureau Chief Daniele Pagani tells more in details.

U.S.-Turkey meeting begins in Ankara

U.S. President Donald Trump seems to be tying himself in knots with his flip-flop. He said that he didn't give the green light to Turkey. Watch this video to know more.

Trump seems to be tying himself in knots with his flip-flop

"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

US Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-delegations-head-to-turkey-256376">departed for Turkey</a> on Wednesday, seeking to secure a ceasefire in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-assault-in-northeast-syria-displaced-300000-monitor-256435">Turkish invasion</a> of northern Syria.

"Our mission set is to see if we can get a ceasefire, see if we can get this brokered," Pompeo told reporters on his plane.

Pence and Pompeo, who travelled on different planes, were scheduled to hold talks on Thursday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but Erdogan has said he will not meet them.

Erdogan has also vowed that Turkey's operation,&nbsp;which was facilitated by the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria, would continue.

US President Donald Trump, facing with mounting criticism over the abrupt pullout, has denied he gave Erdogan a "green light" to launch operations against the Kurds.

Pence's office said the US would pursue "punishing economic sanctions" unless there was an immediate ceasefire.

After the trip to Turkey, Pompeo will stop in Jerusalem Friday to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss Syria and the "need to counter the Iranian regime's destabilizing behavior in the region," according to a statement from the State Department.

Iran is an arch-foe for the Trump administration, which pulled out of a multinational deal on curbing Tehran's nuclear program and instead slapped punishing sanctions.

Later Friday, Pompeo will also meet with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels, the statement said.

US Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo departed for Turkey on Wednesday, seeking to secure a ceasefire in the Turkish invasion of northern Syria.

US Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo departed for Turkey on Wednesday, seeking to secure a ceasefire in the Turkish invasion of northern Syria. "Our mission set is to see if we can get a ceasefire, see if we can get this brokered," Pompeo told reporters on his plane. Pence and Pompeo, who travelled on different planes, were scheduled to hold talks on Thursday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but Erdogan has said he will not meet them. Erdogan has also vowed that Turkey's operation, which was facilitated by the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria, would continue. US President Donald Trump, facing with mounting criticism over the abrupt pullout, has denied he gave Erdogan a "green light" to launch operations against the Kurds. Pence's office said the US would pursue "punishing economic sanctions" unless there was an immediate ceasefire. After the trip to Turkey, Pompeo will stop in Jerusalem Friday to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss Syria and the "need to counter the Iranian regime's destabilizing behavior in the region," according to a statement from the State Department. Iran is an arch-foe for the Trump administration, which pulled out of a multinational deal on curbing Tehran's nuclear program and instead slapped punishing sanctions. Later Friday, Pompeo will also meet with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels, the statement said.

United States' Mike Pence and Mike Pompeo head to Turkey seeking ceasefire

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

Turkish troops and their Syrian proxies gained ground Thursday in Ras al-Ain, a key border town where <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/strategically-brilliant-trump-defends-syria-pullout-condemned-by-house-in-bipartisan-vote-256357">Kurdish fighters</a> had been putting up stiff resistance, a war monitor said.

"There have been intensive airstrikes on Ras al-Ain over the past three days," Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said.

Turkish forces and the mostly Arab and Turkmen former rebels they use as a ground force had "taken about half of the town" by Thursday morning, he said.

Massively outgunned by the Turkish army and its airforce, Kurdish fighters from the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/erdogan-vows-turkey-operation-to-continue-as-us-demands-ceasefire-256358">Syrian Democratic Forces </a>(SDF) quickly lost a long stretch of the border when the assault was launched on October 9.

They organised a defence of Ras al-Ain however with a dense network of tunnels, berms and trenches that held off Turkish forces and their proxies for about a week.

An AFP correspondent on the Turkish side of the Ras al-Ain front line said the sound of gunfire and blasts from artillery and airstrikes was constant.

Turkey wants to create a 30-kilometre-deep buffer on the Syrian side of the border to keep Kurdish militias at bay and set up a resettlement zone for some of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees living on its soil.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has so far ignored international pressure to halt the offensive, which has left dozens of civilians dead and displaced more than 300,000 people, according to the Observatory.

Meanwhile, US Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo departed for Turkey on Wednesday, seeking to secure a ceasefire in the Turkish invasion of northern Syria.

"Our mission set is to see if we can get a ceasefire, see if we can get this brokered," Pompeo told reporters on his plane.

Pence and Pompeo, who travelled on different planes, were scheduled to hold talks on Thursday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but Erdogan has said he will not meet them.

Erdogan has also vowed that Turkey's operation -- which was facilitated by the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria -- would continue.

US President Donald Trump, facing with mounting criticism over the abrupt pullout, has denied he gave Erdogan a "green light" to launch operations against the Kurds.

Pence's office said the US would pursue "punishing economic sanctions" unless there was an immediate ceasefire.

After the trip to Turkey, Pompeo will stop in Jerusalem Friday to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss Syria and the "need to counter the Iranian regime's destabilizing behaviour in the region," according to a statement from the State Department.

Iran is an arch-foe for the Trump administration, which pulled out of a multinational deal on curbing Tehran's nuclear program and instead slapped punishing sanctions.

Later Friday, Pompeo will also meet with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels, the statement said. 
&nbsp;

Turkish troops and their Syrian proxies gained ground Thursday in Ras al-Ain, a key border town where Kurdish fighters had been putting up stiff resistance, a war monitor said.

Turkish troops and their Syrian proxies gained ground Thursday in Ras al-Ain, a key border town where Kurdish fighters had been putting up stiff resistance, a war monitor said. "There have been intensive airstrikes on Ras al-Ain over the past three days," Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said. Turkish forces and the mostly Arab and Turkmen former rebels they use as a ground force had "taken about half of the town" by Thursday morning, he said. Massively outgunned by the Turkish army and its airforce, Kurdish fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) quickly lost a long stretch of the border when the assault was launched on October 9. They organised a defence of Ras al-Ain however with a dense network of tunnels, berms and trenches that held off Turkish forces and their proxies for about a week. An AFP correspondent on the Turkish side of the Ras al-Ain front line said the sound of gunfire and blasts from artillery and airstrikes was constant. Turkey wants to create a 30-kilometre-deep buffer on the Syrian side of the border to keep Kurdish militias at bay and set up a resettlement zone for some of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees living on its soil. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has so far ignored international pressure to halt the offensive, which has left dozens of civilians dead and displaced more than 300,000 people, according to the Observatory. Meanwhile, US Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo departed for Turkey on Wednesday, seeking to secure a ceasefire in the Turkish invasion of northern Syria. "Our mission set is to see if we can get a ceasefire, see if we can get this brokered," Pompeo told reporters on his plane. Pence and Pompeo, who travelled on different planes, were scheduled to hold talks on Thursday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but Erdogan has said he will not meet them. Erdogan has also vowed that Turkey's operation -- which was facilitated by the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria -- would continue. US President Donald Trump, facing with mounting criticism over the abrupt pullout, has denied he gave Erdogan a "green light" to launch operations against the Kurds. Pence's office said the US would pursue "punishing economic sanctions" unless there was an immediate ceasefire. After the trip to Turkey, Pompeo will stop in Jerusalem Friday to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss Syria and the "need to counter the Iranian regime's destabilizing behaviour in the region," according to a statement from the State Department. Iran is an arch-foe for the Trump administration, which pulled out of a multinational deal on curbing Tehran's nuclear program and instead slapped punishing sanctions. Later Friday, Pompeo will also meet with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels, the statement said.

Gunfire, airstrikes as Turkey gains ground in key Syrian border town 

Turkey's week-old offensive against Kurdish-controlled areas of northeastern Syria has displaced more than 300,000 people, a war monitor said Thursday.

"More than 300,000 civilians have been displaced since the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/strategically-brilliant-trump-defends-syria-pullout-condemned-by-house-in-bipartisan-vote-256357">start of the offensive</a>," Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said.

He said the jump in the number of people forced to flee was due to a fresh wave of displacement over the past few days from areas around Tal Abyad and Kobane and in Hasakeh province.

Most displaced people tried to move in with relatives in safer areas, some were sleeping rough in orchards and others in some of the 40 schools that have been turned into emergency shelters, Abdel Rahman said.

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.

Watch: Syrians flee to Iraqi Kurdish region

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Dozens of civilians -- mostly on the Kurdish side -- have been killed since the start of the offensive, which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has refused to halt despite mounting international pressure.

Meanwhile, Turkish troops and their Syrian proxies gained ground&nbsp;in Ras al-Ain, a key border town where Kurdish fighters had been putting up stiff resistance, a war monitor said.

"There have been intensive airstrikes on Ras al-Ain over the past three days," Rahman said.

Turkish forces and the mostly Arab and Turkmen former rebels they use as a ground force had "taken about half of the town" by Thursday morning, he said.

Massively outgunned by the Turkish army and its airforce, Kurdish fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) quickly lost a long stretch of border when the assault was launched on October 9.

They organised a defence of Ras al-Ain however with a dense network of tunnels, berms and trenches that held off Turkish forces and their proxies for about a week.

An AFP correspondent on the Turkish side of the Ras al-Ain front line said the sound of gunfire and blasts from artillery and airstrikes was constant.

Turkey wants to create a 30-kilometre-deep buffer on the Syrian side of the border to keep Kurdish militias at bay and set up a resettlement zone for some of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees living on its soil.

Turkey's week-old offensive against Kurdish-controlled areas of northeastern Syria has displaced more than 300,000 people, a war monitor said Thursday. "More than 300,000 civilians have been displaced since the start of the offensive," Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said.

Turkey's week-old offensive against Kurdish-controlled areas of northeastern Syria has displaced more than 300,000 people, a war monitor said Thursday. "More than 300,000 civilians have been displaced since the start of the offensive," Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said. He said the jump in the number of people forced to flee was due to a fresh wave of displacement over the past few days from areas around Tal Abyad and Kobane and in Hasakeh province. Most displaced people tried to move in with relatives in safer areas, some were sleeping rough in orchards and others in some of the 40 schools that have been turned into emergency shelters, Abdel Rahman said. 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. Watch: Syrians flee to Iraqi Kurdish region × Dozens of civilians -- mostly on the Kurdish side -- have been killed since the start of the offensive, which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has refused to halt despite mounting international pressure. Meanwhile, Turkish troops and their Syrian proxies gained ground in Ras al-Ain, a key border town where Kurdish fighters had been putting up stiff resistance, a war monitor said. "There have been intensive airstrikes on Ras al-Ain over the past three days," Rahman said. Turkish forces and the mostly Arab and Turkmen former rebels they use as a ground force had "taken about half of the town" by Thursday morning, he said. Massively outgunned by the Turkish army and its airforce, Kurdish fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) quickly lost a long stretch of border when the assault was launched on October 9. They organised a defence of Ras al-Ain however with a dense network of tunnels, berms and trenches that held off Turkish forces and their proxies for about a week. An AFP correspondent on the Turkish side of the Ras al-Ain front line said the sound of gunfire and blasts from artillery and airstrikes was constant. Turkey wants to create a 30-kilometre-deep buffer on the Syrian side of the border to keep Kurdish militias at bay and set up a resettlement zone for some of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees living on its soil.

Turkey assault in northeast Syria displaced 300,000: Monitor

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-dont-approve-of-turkish-actions-in-syria-russia-256210">Russian President Vladimir Putin</a> discussed the conflict in Syria in a phone call with Recep Tayyip Erdogan and invited the Turkish leader to soon visit Russia, the Kremlin said.

Putin invited Erdogan "for a working visit in the coming days. The invitation was accepted," Putin's office said in a statement late Tuesday.

It said the two leaders emphasised "the need to prevent confrontations between units of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-pushes-offensive-in-syria-despite-sanctions-and-calls-to-stop-256184">Turkish army and Syrian armed forces</a>".

The call was initiated by Turkey, the Kremlin said.

Putin raised concerns in the call about "terrorists attempting to break free and infiltrate neighbouring countries" amid Ankara's offensive against Kurdish-held areas of northern Syria.

Earlier, 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.

Watch video:

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"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.

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the conflict in Syria in a phone call with Recep Tayyip Erdogan and invited the Turkish leader to soon visit Russia, the Kremlin said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the conflict in Syria in a phone call with Recep Tayyip Erdogan and invited the Turkish leader to soon visit Russia, the Kremlin said. Putin invited Erdogan "for a working visit in the coming days. The invitation was accepted," Putin's office said in a statement late Tuesday. It said the two leaders emphasised "the need to prevent confrontations between units of the Turkish army and Syrian armed forces". The call was initiated by Turkey, the Kremlin said. Putin raised concerns in the call about "terrorists attempting to break free and infiltrate neighbouring countries" amid Ankara's offensive against Kurdish-held areas of northern Syria. Earlier, 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. Watch video: "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.

Vladimir Putin invites Turkish President Erdogan to Russia amid Syria offensive

Understanding China's Strategy In West Asia Amidst the ongoing conflict between Turkey and Kurds who have now sided with Syrian government forces, China is slowly and steadily making deep inroads in West Asia.

Gravitas: China Quietly Makes Inroads In West Asia

Is China Sidelining The U.S. In West Asia? 7 days after Turkey's military offensive in Syria, the entire geopolitical equation has changed in West Asia.

Gravitas: Understanding The Changing Power Dynamics In Syria

Who gains in the battle for Syria's northeast?

Turkey vowed to press ahead with its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/britain-halts-weapon-exports-to-turkey-over-syria-offensive-foreign-secretary-dominic-raab-256092">offensive in northern Syria</a> on Tuesday despite US&nbsp;sanctions and growing calls for it to stop, while <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-forces-patrolling-between-syrian-turkish-forces-256159">Syria's Russia-backed army</a> moved on the key city of Manbij that was abandoned by US&nbsp;forces.

"They say 'declare a ceasefire'. We will never declare a ceasefire," Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told reporters after a visit to Baku.

"They are pressuring us to stop the operation. They are announcing sanctions. Our goal is clear. We are not worried about any sanctions."

Erdogan said an attack from Manbij that killed one Turkish soldier was launched by Syrian government forces.

Reuters journalists accompanied Syrian government forces who entered the centre of Manbij, a flashpoint where US&nbsp;troops had previously conducted joint patrols with Turkey.

Russian and Syrian flags were flying from a building on the city outskirts and from a convoy of military vehicles.

Russia's Interfax news agency, citing Moscow's Defence Ministry, said later that Syrian forces had taken control of an area of more than 1,000 square km (386 miles) around Manbij, including Tabqa military airfield.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump's unexpected decision to withhold protection from Syria's Kurds after a phone call with Erdogan a week ago swiftly upended five years of US&nbsp;policy on Syria.

As well as clearing the way for the Turkish incursion, the US&nbsp;withdrawal gives a free hand to Washington's adversaries in the world's deadliest ongoing war, namely Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian and Iranian allies.

The Syrian army deployments into Kurdish-held territory amount to a victory for Assad and Russia, giving them a foothold in the biggest remaining swathe of Syria that had been beyond their grasp through much of its eight-year-old war.

The United States announced on Sunday it was withdrawing its entire force of 1,000 troops from northern Syria. Its former Kurdish allies immediately forged a new alliance with Assad's government, inviting the army into towns across their territory.

A Reuters cameraman on the Turkish frontier reported heavy bombardment on Tuesday morning of the Syrian border town of Ras al Ain, where an SDF spokesman reported a battle going on.

US&nbsp;military aircraft carried out a "show of force" around the town of Kobani after Turkish-backed fighters came close to American forces, a US&nbsp;official told Reuters. The Turkish-backed fighters dispersed after the show of force, the official said.

US&nbsp;Vice President Mike Pence will meet Erdogan on Thursday in Ankara.

"Vice President Pence will reiterate President Trump's commitment to maintaining punishing economic sanctions on Turkey until a resolution is reached," the White House said in a statement.

After Trump announced a set of sanctions on Monday to punish Ankara, US&nbsp;prosecutors hit Turkey with charges on the majority state-owned Halkbank for taking part in a multibillion-dollar scheme to evade US&nbsp;sanctions against Iran.

A Turkish embassy official in Washington said the indictment did not contribute positively to the current state of US-Turkey ties. Turkish and American officials had been in talks on the Halkbank case for at least a year.

More US sanctions pressure 

A senior Trump administration official said Washington would threaten more sanctions to persuade Turkey to reach a ceasefire and halt its offensive.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a loyal Trump supporter who has nevertheless been highly critical of the president's troop withdrawal, said he would introduce a bill on Thursday to impose tougher sanctions on Turkey.

The measures announced on Monday - mainly a hike in steel tariffs and a pause in trade talks - were less robust than financial markets had anticipated, and Trump's critics derided them as too feeble to have an impact.

The Turkish lira, which had fallen on the expectation of tougher US&nbsp;measures, recovered after the sanctions were announced, as did its bond and stock markets, with traders noting that Trump had spared Turkish banks.

Bilateral trade between Turkey and the United States is relatively small - around a tenth the size of Turkey's trade with Europe. Washington's most effective form of economic leverage would be to hinder Turkey's access to US&nbsp;financial markets, a step Trump has so far avoided.

In a potentially more damaging blow, German carmaker Volkswagen said it was postponing a final decision on whether to build a 1 billion euro ($1.1 billion) plant in Turkey, citing concern over "current developments".

Following Trump's announcement, the US&nbsp;Treasury said on Monday it had sanctioned Turkey's energy, defence and interior ministers.

Accusations of betrayal

Trump has defended his reversal of US&nbsp;policy as part of a plan to extricate the United States from "endless" wars in the Middle East.

But his critics cast it as a betrayal of the Kurds, loyal allies who lost thousands of fighters as the principal ground force in Washington's battle against Islamic State.

A senior US&nbsp;defence official said the US&nbsp;military would continue to combat Islamic State militants, who experts say could take advantage of the chaos to stage a resurgence.

"The intent is to reposition (US&nbsp;forces leaving Syria) and use what assets and personnel we have available to continue the mission," the official said.

However, without a partnership on the ground in Syria like the with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, any such US&nbsp;efforts would almost certainly be limited. The Kurdish YPG militia, the key component of the forces who fought Islamic State, is seen by Ankara as a terrorist group aligned with Kurdish separatist insurgents in Turkey.

Turkey says it aims to defeat the YPG and create a "safe zone" where millions of Syrian war refugees now in Turkey could be resettled.

The United Nations says 160,000 people have fled their homes as Turkish forces advance. The regional Kurdish administration puts the number of displaced at 270,000.

The U.N. Security Council will likely meet on Wednesday to discuss the latest developments in Syria, diplomats said, the second such session since Turkey began its offensive.

The U.N. Human Rights office said on Tuesday that Turkey could be held responsible for war crimes by fighters under its direction, potentially including the assassination of Hevrin Khalaf, a leading Kurdish politician killed on the side of a highway on Saturday by gunmen who posted the attack on the internet.

Turkish-backed fighters have denied blame for her murder.

Erdogan said Ankara was giving the world a chance to bring peace to the region.

"The international community missed its opportunity to prevent the Syrian crisis from pulling an entire region into a maelstrom of instability," he wrote in the Wall Street Journal. "The European Union - and the world - should support what Turkey is trying to do."

Turkey vowed to press ahead with its offensive in northern Syria on Tuesday 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.

Turkey vowed to press ahead with its offensive in northern Syria on Tuesday 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. "They say 'declare a ceasefire'. We will never declare a ceasefire," Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told reporters after a visit to Baku. "They are pressuring us to stop the operation. They are announcing sanctions. Our goal is clear. We are not worried about any sanctions." Erdogan said an attack from Manbij that killed one Turkish soldier was launched by Syrian government forces. Reuters journalists accompanied Syrian government forces who entered the centre of Manbij, a flashpoint where US troops had previously conducted joint patrols with Turkey. Russian and Syrian flags were flying from a building on the city outskirts and from a convoy of military vehicles. Russia's Interfax news agency, citing Moscow's Defence Ministry, said later that Syrian forces had taken control of an area of more than 1,000 square km (386 miles) around Manbij, including Tabqa military airfield. US President Donald Trump's unexpected decision to withhold protection from Syria's Kurds after a phone call with Erdogan a week ago swiftly upended five years of US policy on Syria. As well as clearing the way for the Turkish incursion, the US withdrawal gives a free hand to Washington's adversaries in the world's deadliest ongoing war, namely Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian and Iranian allies. The Syrian army deployments into Kurdish-held territory amount to a victory for Assad and Russia, giving them a foothold in the biggest remaining swathe of Syria that had been beyond their grasp through much of its eight-year-old war. The United States announced on Sunday it was withdrawing its entire force of 1,000 troops from northern Syria. Its former Kurdish allies immediately forged a new alliance with Assad's government, inviting the army into towns across their territory. A Reuters cameraman on the Turkish frontier reported heavy bombardment on Tuesday morning of the Syrian border town of Ras al Ain, where an SDF spokesman reported a battle going on. US military aircraft carried out a "show of force" around the town of Kobani after Turkish-backed fighters came close to American forces, a US official told Reuters. The Turkish-backed fighters dispersed after the show of force, the official said. US Vice President Mike Pence will meet Erdogan on Thursday in Ankara. "Vice President Pence will reiterate President Trump's commitment to maintaining punishing economic sanctions on Turkey until a resolution is reached," the White House said in a statement. After Trump announced a set of sanctions on Monday to punish Ankara, US prosecutors hit Turkey with charges on the majority state-owned Halkbank for taking part in a multibillion-dollar scheme to evade US sanctions against Iran. A Turkish embassy official in Washington said the indictment did not contribute positively to the current state of US-Turkey ties. Turkish and American officials had been in talks on the Halkbank case for at least a year. More US sanctions pressure A senior Trump administration official said Washington would threaten more sanctions to persuade Turkey to reach a ceasefire and halt its offensive. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a loyal Trump supporter who has nevertheless been highly critical of the president's troop withdrawal, said he would introduce a bill on Thursday to impose tougher sanctions on Turkey. The measures announced on Monday - mainly a hike in steel tariffs and a pause in trade talks - were less robust than financial markets had anticipated, and Trump's critics derided them as too feeble to have an impact. The Turkish lira, which had fallen on the expectation of tougher US measures, recovered after the sanctions were announced, as did its bond and stock markets, with traders noting that Trump had spared Turkish banks. Bilateral trade between Turkey and the United States is relatively small - around a tenth the size of Turkey's trade with Europe. Washington's most effective form of economic leverage would be to hinder Turkey's access to US financial markets, a step Trump has so far avoided. In a potentially more damaging blow, German carmaker Volkswagen said it was postponing a final decision on whether to build a 1 billion euro ($1.1 billion) plant in Turkey, citing concern over "current developments". Following Trump's announcement, the US Treasury said on Monday it had sanctioned Turkey's energy, defence and interior ministers. Accusations of betrayal Trump has defended his reversal of US policy as part of a plan to extricate the United States from "endless" wars in the Middle East. But his critics cast it as a betrayal of the Kurds, loyal allies who lost thousands of fighters as the principal ground force in Washington's battle against Islamic State. A senior US defence official said the US military would continue to combat Islamic State militants, who experts say could take advantage of the chaos to stage a resurgence. "The intent is to reposition (US forces leaving Syria) and use what assets and personnel we have available to continue the mission," the official said. However, without a partnership on the ground in Syria like the with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, any such US efforts would almost certainly be limited. The Kurdish YPG militia, the key component of the forces who fought Islamic State, is seen by Ankara as a terrorist group aligned with Kurdish separatist insurgents in Turkey. Turkey says it aims to defeat the YPG and create a "safe zone" where millions of Syrian war refugees now in Turkey could be resettled. The United Nations says 160,000 people have fled their homes as Turkish forces advance. The regional Kurdish administration puts the number of displaced at 270,000. The U.N. Security Council will likely meet on Wednesday to discuss the latest developments in Syria, diplomats said, the second such session since Turkey began its offensive. The U.N. Human Rights office said on Tuesday that Turkey could be held responsible for war crimes by fighters under its direction, potentially including the assassination of Hevrin Khalaf, a leading Kurdish politician killed on the side of a highway on Saturday by gunmen who posted the attack on the internet. Turkish-backed fighters have denied blame for her murder. Erdogan said Ankara was giving the world a chance to bring peace to the region. "The international community missed its opportunity to prevent the Syrian crisis from pulling an entire region into a maelstrom of instability," he wrote in the Wall Street Journal. "The European Union - and the world - should support what Turkey is trying to do."

Turkey pushes offensive in Syria, despite sanctions and calls to stop

United States&nbsp;Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday said <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-officials-not-aware-of-escape-of-islamic-state-extremists-mike-pence-leaving-for-turkey-in-24-hours-256166">he and US&nbsp;Vice President Mike Pence</a> expect to meet with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan when they travel to Turkey this week.

Pompeo, in an interview on Fox Business Network, said the US&nbsp;delegation was planning to leave later on Wednesday and that the goal was to find a resolution to the situation in Syria, not break the US-Turkey relationship.

Vice President Mike Pence will leave within 24 hours to Ankara to press&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-nations-security-council-to-meet-on-turkish-syria-assault-256140">Turkey for a ceasefire in its offensive against Syrian Kurdish fighters</a>, a US official said Tuesday.

"We will launching off to Ankara in the next 24 hours," the official said, a day after Pence announced his trip to Turkey without specifying the timing.

Turkey on Tuesday vowed to pursue its Syria offensive and slammed a "dirty deal" between President Bashar al-Assad's regime and Kurdish forces after the withdrawal of US forces from northern Syria.&nbsp;

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday said he and US Vice President Mike Pence expect to meet with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan when they travel to Turkey this week.

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday said he and US Vice President Mike Pence expect to meet with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan when they travel to Turkey this week. Pompeo, in an interview on Fox Business Network, said the US delegation was planning to leave later on Wednesday and that the goal was to find a resolution to the situation in Syria, not break the US-Turkey relationship. Vice President Mike Pence will leave within 24 hours to Ankara to press Turkey for a ceasefire in its offensive against Syrian Kurdish fighters, a US official said Tuesday. "We will launching off to Ankara in the next 24 hours," the official said, a day after Pence announced his trip to Turkey without specifying the timing. Turkey on Tuesday vowed to pursue its Syria offensive and slammed a "dirty deal" between President Bashar al-Assad's regime and Kurdish forces after the withdrawal of US forces from northern Syria.

United States' Pompeo says plans to meet Turkey's Erdogan 'face-to-face'

The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria called on Wednesday for an immediate <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/arrests-extortion-detention-syrians-warned-against-heading-home-256255">end to hostilities along its border with Turkey</a>, where Ankara has launched an assault and Damascus advanced its forces after United States&nbsp;troops pulled out.

Geir Pedersen raised Turkey's week-old incursion into northeastern Syria in talks in Damascus Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem.

Pedersen told Reuters TV the U.N. was extremely concerned about the humanitarian consequences of the crisis and called for an "immediate cessation of hostilities".

Moualem was quoted by state news agency SANA as saying <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hundreds-of-syria-kurds-seek-refuge-in-iraq-256251">Turkey's aggression was prolonging the crisis in Syria</a> and undermining efforts to secure a political settlement.

Pedersen's trip had been planned to discuss preparations for the first meeting of Syria's Constitutional Committee, due to take place in Geneva on October&nbsp;30.

A congress convened by Russia, a leading ally of Syrian President Bashir al-Assad, has asked the United Nations to form the 150-member committee to draft a new constitution after many rounds of talks to end the war had failed.

The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria called on Wednesday for an immediate end to hostilities along its border with Turkey, where Ankara has launched an assault and Damascus advanced its forces after United States troops pulled out.

The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria called on Wednesday for an immediate end to hostilities along its border with Turkey, where Ankara has launched an assault and Damascus advanced its forces after United States troops pulled out. Geir Pedersen raised Turkey's week-old incursion into northeastern Syria in talks in Damascus Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem. Pedersen told Reuters TV the U.N. was extremely concerned about the humanitarian consequences of the crisis and called for an "immediate cessation of hostilities". Moualem was quoted by state news agency SANA as saying Turkey's aggression was prolonging the crisis in Syria and undermining efforts to secure a political settlement. Pedersen's trip had been planned to discuss preparations for the first meeting of Syria's Constitutional Committee, due to take place in Geneva on October 30. A congress convened by Russia, a leading ally of Syrian President Bashir al-Assad, has asked the United Nations to form the 150-member committee to draft a new constitution after many rounds of talks to end the war had failed.

United Nations Syria envoy calls for ceasefire in northeast border area

Turkey launched an offensive targeting Syrian Kurdish fighters last week after US troops allied to them pulled out.

Erdogan rejects US ceasefire call on Syria

Turkey, like much of the Middle East, is discovering that what goes around comes around.

Not only because President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seems to have miscalculated the fallout of what may prove to be a foolhardy intervention in Syria and neglected alternative options that could have strengthened Turkey’s position without sparking the ire of much of the international community.&nbsp;

But also because what could prove to be a strategic error is rooted in a policy of decades of denial of Kurdish identity and suppression of Kurdish cultural and political rights that was more likely than not to fuel conflict rather than encourage societal cohesion.

The policy midwife the birth in the 1970s to militant groups like the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), which only dropped its demand for Kurdish independence in recent years.

The group that has waged a low-intensity insurgency that has cost tens of thousands of lives has been declared a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

Turkish refusal to acknowledge the rights of the Kurds, who are believed to account for up to 20 per cent of the country’s population, traces its roots to the carving of modern Turkey out of the ruins of the Ottoman empire by its visionary founder, Mustafa Kemal, widely known as Ataturk, Father of the Turks.

It is entrenched in Kemal’s declaration in a speech in 1923 to celebrate Turkish independence of “How happy is the one who calls himself a Turk,” an effort to forge a national identity for the country that was an ethnic mosaic.

The phrase was incorporated half a century later in Turkey’s student oath and ultimately removed from it in 2013 at a time of peace talks between Turkey and the PKK by then prime minister, now president Erdogan.

It took the influx of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Kurds in the late 1980s and early 1990s as well as the 1991 declaration by the United States, Britain and France of a no-fly zone in northern Iraq that enabled the emergence of an autonomous Iraqi Kurdish region to spark debate in Turkey about the Kurdish question and prompt the government to refer to Kurds as Kurds rather than mountain Turks.

Ironically, Turkey’s enduring refusal to acknowledge Kurdish rights and its long neglect of the development of the predominantly Kurdish southeast of the country fuelled demands for greater rights rather than majority support for Kurdish secession largely despite the emergence of the PKK.

Most Turkish Kurds, who could rise to the highest offices in the lands long as they are identified as Turks rather than Kurds, resembled Palestinians with Israeli citizenship, whose options were more limited even if they endorsed the notion of a Jewish state.

Nonetheless, both minorities favoured an independent state for their brethren on the other side of the border but did not want to surrender the opportunities that either Turkey or Israel offered them.

The existence for close to three decades of a Kurdish regional government in northern Iraq and a 2017 referendum in which an overwhelming majority voted for Iraqi Kurdish independence, bitterly rejected and ultimately nullified by Iraqi, Turkish and Iranian opposition, did little to fundamentally change Turkish Kurdish attitudes.

If the referendum briefly soured Turkish-Iraqi Kurdish relations, it failed to undermine the basic understanding underlying a relationship that could have guided Turkey’s approach towards the Kurds in Syria even if dealing with Iraqi Kurds may have been easier because, unlike Turkish Kurds, they had not engaged in political violence against Turkey.

The notion that there was no alternative to the Turkish intervention in Syria is further countered by the fact that Turkish PKK negotiations that started in 2012 led a year later to a ceasefire and a boosting of efforts to secure a peaceful resolution.

The talks prompted imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan to publish a letter endorsing the ceasefire, the disarmament and withdrawal from Turkey of PKK fighters, and a call for an end to the insurgency. Ocalan predicted that 2013 would be the year in which the Turkish Kurdish issues would be resolved peacefully.

The PKK's military leader, Cemil Bayik, told the BBC three years later that "We don't want to separate from Turkey and set up a state. We want to live within the borders of Turkey on our own land freely.”

The talks broke down in 2015 against the backdrop of the Syrian war and the rise as a US ally of the United States in the fight against the Islamic State of the PKK’s Syrian affiliate, the People's Protection Units (YPG).

Bitterly opposed to the US-YPG alliance, Turkey demanded that the PKK halt its resumption of attacks on Turkish targets and disarm prior to further negotiations.

Turkey responded to the breakdown and resumption of violence with a brutal crackdown in the southeast of the country and on the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).

Nonetheless, in a statement issued from prison earlier this year that envisioned an understanding between Turkey and Syrian Kurdish forces believed to be aligned with the PKK, Ocalan declared that “We believe, with regard to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the problems in Syria should be resolved within the framework of the unity of Syria, based on constitutional guarantees and local democratic perspectives. In this regard, it should be sensitive to Turkey’s concerns.”

Turkey’s emergence as one of Iraqi Kurdistan’s foremost investors and trading partners in exchange for Iraqi Kurdish acquiescence in Turkish countering the PKK’s presence in the region could have provided inspiration for a US-sponsored safe zone in northern Syria that Washington and Ankara had contemplated.

The Turkish-Iraqi Kurdish understanding enabled Turkey to allow an armed Iraqi Kurdish force to transit Turkish territory in 2014 to help prevent the Islamic State from conquering the Syrian city of Kobani.

A safe zone would have helped “realign the relationship between Turkey’s Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and its Syrian offshoot.

The safe-zone arrangements…envision(ed) drawing down the YPG presence along the border—a good starting point for reining in the PKK, improving US ties with Ankara, and avoiding a potentially destructive Turkish intervention in Syria,” Turkey scholar Sonar Cagaptay suggested in August.

The opportunity that could have created the beginnings of a sustainable solution that would have benefitted Turkey, as well as the Kurds, fell by the wayside with Trump’s decision to withdraw US troops from northern Syria.

In many ways, Erdogan’s decision to opt for a military solution fits the mould of a critical mass of world leaders who look at the world through a civilisational prism and often view national borders in relative terms.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin pointed the way with his 2008 intervention in Georgia and the annexation in 2014 of Crimea as well as Russia’s stirring of pro-Russian insurgencies in two regions of Ukraine.

Erdogan appears to believe that if Putin can pull it off, so can he. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

Turkey, like much of the Middle East, is discovering that what goes around comes around. Not only because President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seems to have miscalculated the fallout of what may prove to be a foolhardy intervention in Syria and neglected alternative options that could have strengthened Turkey’s position without sparking the ire of much of the international community.

Turkey, like much of the Middle East, is discovering that what goes around comes around. Not only because President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seems to have miscalculated the fallout of what may prove to be a foolhardy intervention in Syria and neglected alternative options that could have strengthened Turkey’s position without sparking the ire of much of the international community. But also because what could prove to be a strategic error is rooted in a policy of decades of denial of Kurdish identity and suppression of Kurdish cultural and political rights that was more likely than not to fuel conflict rather than encourage societal cohesion. The policy midwife the birth in the 1970s to militant groups like the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), which only dropped its demand for Kurdish independence in recent years. The group that has waged a low-intensity insurgency that has cost tens of thousands of lives has been declared a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. Turkish refusal to acknowledge the rights of the Kurds, who are believed to account for up to 20 per cent of the country’s population, traces its roots to the carving of modern Turkey out of the ruins of the Ottoman empire by its visionary founder, Mustafa Kemal, widely known as Ataturk, Father of the Turks. It is entrenched in Kemal’s declaration in a speech in 1923 to celebrate Turkish independence of “How happy is the one who calls himself a Turk,” an effort to forge a national identity for the country that was an ethnic mosaic. The phrase was incorporated half a century later in Turkey’s student oath and ultimately removed from it in 2013 at a time of peace talks between Turkey and the PKK by then prime minister, now president Erdogan. It took the influx of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Kurds in the late 1980s and early 1990s as well as the 1991 declaration by the United States, Britain and France of a no-fly zone in northern Iraq that enabled the emergence of an autonomous Iraqi Kurdish region to spark debate in Turkey about the Kurdish question and prompt the government to refer to Kurds as Kurds rather than mountain Turks. Ironically, Turkey’s enduring refusal to acknowledge Kurdish rights and its long neglect of the development of the predominantly Kurdish southeast of the country fuelled demands for greater rights rather than majority support for Kurdish secession largely despite the emergence of the PKK. Most Turkish Kurds, who could rise to the highest offices in the lands long as they are identified as Turks rather than Kurds, resembled Palestinians with Israeli citizenship, whose options were more limited even if they endorsed the notion of a Jewish state. Nonetheless, both minorities favoured an independent state for their brethren on the other side of the border but did not want to surrender the opportunities that either Turkey or Israel offered them. The existence for close to three decades of a Kurdish regional government in northern Iraq and a 2017 referendum in which an overwhelming majority voted for Iraqi Kurdish independence, bitterly rejected and ultimately nullified by Iraqi, Turkish and Iranian opposition, did little to fundamentally change Turkish Kurdish attitudes. If the referendum briefly soured Turkish-Iraqi Kurdish relations, it failed to undermine the basic understanding underlying a relationship that could have guided Turkey’s approach towards the Kurds in Syria even if dealing with Iraqi Kurds may have been easier because, unlike Turkish Kurds, they had not engaged in political violence against Turkey. The notion that there was no alternative to the Turkish intervention in Syria is further countered by the fact that Turkish PKK negotiations that started in 2012 led a year later to a ceasefire and a boosting of efforts to secure a peaceful resolution. The talks prompted imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan to publish a letter endorsing the ceasefire, the disarmament and withdrawal from Turkey of PKK fighters, and a call for an end to the insurgency. Ocalan predicted that 2013 would be the year in which the Turkish Kurdish issues would be resolved peacefully. The PKK's military leader, Cemil Bayik, told the BBC three years later that "We don't want to separate from Turkey and set up a state. We want to live within the borders of Turkey on our own land freely.” The talks broke down in 2015 against the backdrop of the Syrian war and the rise as a US ally of the United States in the fight against the Islamic State of the PKK’s Syrian affiliate, the People's Protection Units (YPG). Bitterly opposed to the US-YPG alliance, Turkey demanded that the PKK halt its resumption of attacks on Turkish targets and disarm prior to further negotiations. Turkey responded to the breakdown and resumption of violence with a brutal crackdown in the southeast of the country and on the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). Nonetheless, in a statement issued from prison earlier this year that envisioned an understanding between Turkey and Syrian Kurdish forces believed to be aligned with the PKK, Ocalan declared that “We believe, with regard to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the problems in Syria should be resolved within the framework of the unity of Syria, based on constitutional guarantees and local democratic perspectives. In this regard, it should be sensitive to Turkey’s concerns.” Turkey’s emergence as one of Iraqi Kurdistan’s foremost investors and trading partners in exchange for Iraqi Kurdish acquiescence in Turkish countering the PKK’s presence in the region could have provided inspiration for a US-sponsored safe zone in northern Syria that Washington and Ankara had contemplated. The Turkish-Iraqi Kurdish understanding enabled Turkey to allow an armed Iraqi Kurdish force to transit Turkish territory in 2014 to help prevent the Islamic State from conquering the Syrian city of Kobani. A safe zone would have helped “realign the relationship between Turkey’s Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and its Syrian offshoot. The safe-zone arrangements…envision(ed) drawing down the YPG presence along the border—a good starting point for reining in the PKK, improving US ties with Ankara, and avoiding a potentially destructive Turkish intervention in Syria,” Turkey scholar Sonar Cagaptay suggested in August. The opportunity that could have created the beginnings of a sustainable solution that would have benefitted Turkey, as well as the Kurds, fell by the wayside with Trump’s decision to withdraw US troops from northern Syria. In many ways, Erdogan’s decision to opt for a military solution fits the mould of a critical mass of world leaders who look at the world through a civilisational prism and often view national borders in relative terms. Russian leader Vladimir Putin pointed the way with his 2008 intervention in Georgia and the annexation in 2014 of Crimea as well as Russia’s stirring of pro-Russian insurgencies in two regions of Ukraine. Erdogan appears to believe that if Putin can pull it off, so can he. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Explained: Turkey's decision to opt for military action in Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday firmly ruled out any negotiations with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/vladimir-putin-invites-turkish-president-erdogan-to-russia-amid-syria-offensive-256223">Kurdish militants in Syria</a> as the United States pushed for a ceasefire.&nbsp;

"There are some leaders who are trying to mediate... There has never been any such thing in the history of the Turkish republic as the state sitting at the same table with a terror organisation," Erdogan said in a speech to parliament.

Meanwhile, Turkish police have detained nearly 200 people over their social media posts against its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-dont-approve-of-turkish-actions-in-syria-russia-256210">military offensive in Syria</a> since the operation began last week, state news agency Anadolu said Wednesday.

Of the 186 people held, 24 have been formally arrested, according to Anadolu.&nbsp;

So far, 78 were released and 40 were freed under judicial control, while legal proceedings were ongoing for the rest, it said.

Among those detained for "terrorist propaganda" against the operation this week were the co-presidents of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Sezai Temelli and Pervin Buldan.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-pushes-offensive-in-syria-despite-sanctions-and-calls-to-stop-256184">Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring against Kurdish militants in Syria a week ago</a>.&nbsp;

It is thought to have widespread support at home but has been widely criticised by the international community, who relied on Kurdish forces to fight the Islamic State group.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday firmly ruled out any negotiations with Kurdish militants in Syria as the United States pushed for a ceasefire.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday firmly ruled out any negotiations with Kurdish militants in Syria as the United States pushed for a ceasefire. "There are some leaders who are trying to mediate... There has never been any such thing in the history of the Turkish republic as the state sitting at the same table with a terror organisation," Erdogan said in a speech to parliament. Meanwhile, Turkish police have detained nearly 200 people over their social media posts against its military offensive in Syria since the operation began last week, state news agency Anadolu said Wednesday. Of the 186 people held, 24 have been formally arrested, according to Anadolu. So far, 78 were released and 40 were freed under judicial control, while legal proceedings were ongoing for the rest, it said. Among those detained for "terrorist propaganda" against the operation this week were the co-presidents of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Sezai Temelli and Pervin Buldan. Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring against Kurdish militants in Syria a week ago. It is thought to have widespread support at home but has been widely criticised by the international community, who relied on Kurdish forces to fight the Islamic State group.

Turkey's Erdogan rules out talks with Syrian Kurdish forces

France must wait to claim a place at Euro 2020 after the world champions were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Turkey in a high-octane qualifying game on Monday.

Turkey's Kaan Ayhan equalised eight minutes from time after France substitute Olivier Giroud opened the scoring in the 76th as the visitors stayed top of Group H with 19 points from eight games, ahead of Les Bleus due to a 2-0 win in Konya last June.

Iceland is third on 15 points after goals by Arnor Sigurdsson and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson earned a 2-0 home victory over Andorra, with Albania fourth on 12 points following a 4-0 away win against Moldova.

French police were on high alert after President Emmanuel Macron said <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/day-5-of-turkeys-military-operation-in-syria-255702">Turkey's military operation </a>against Kurdish forces in Syria could lead to an “unsustainable humanitarian situation” and threatened to “help the Islamic State group re-emerge in the region".

With up to 40,000 Turkey fans expected at the stadium, some 1,000 police officers were on duty in and around the Stade de France to prevent potential crowd trouble, but the atmosphere remained peaceful throughout the evening.

"We could have avoided that goal," France coach Didier Deschamps said. "We did everything we needed to win that game, we had the chances, they didn't, but it is what it is.

"It's a good point. We'll have to finish the job in November," he added, saying Turkey, who have picked up four points against France, deserved to top the group.

"We are the two best teams in the group. Qualifiers are always complicated, it's a long road. We should have been more efficient. They defended a lot and they deserve to be where they are."

France take on Moldova and Turkey host Iceland in the next round of matches in November.

The world champions were still without injured goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, striker Kylian Mbappe and midfielder Paul Pogba, and Wissam Ben Yedder started up front in place of Giroud, who paid for his lack of playing time with Chelsea.

France were the most dangerous side as Turkey struggled to cope with the pace of Kingsley Coman but the visiting defence, which had conceded only two goals in qualifying so far, held firm.

France midfielder Moussa Sissoko's low shot was blocked by keeper Mert Gunok and Antoine Griezmann's curled shot went just wide as Les Bleus piled on the pressure.

Turkey, however, created a chance to opening the scoring on the hour only for Burak Yilmaz to sky his attempt over the bar at the end of a quick counter-attack.

With Ben Yedder struggling to find space, Deschamps replaced him with Giroud in the 72nd minute and it the substitute took four minutes to make an impact, heading home Griezmann's corner kick.

The hosts' joy, however, was short-lived as Turkey levelled six minutes later when Ayhan nodded in a free kick.

France must wait to claim a place at Euro 2020 after the world champions were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Turkey in a high-octane qualifying game on Monday. Turkey's Kaan Ayhan equalised eight minutes from time after France substitute Olivier Giroud opened the scoring in the 76th as the visitors stayed top of Group H with 19 points from eight games, ahead of Les Bleus due to a 2-0 win in Konya last June.

France must wait to claim a place at Euro 2020 after the world champions were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Turkey in a high-octane qualifying game on Monday. Turkey's Kaan Ayhan equalised eight minutes from time after France substitute Olivier Giroud opened the scoring in the 76th as the visitors stayed top of Group H with 19 points from eight games, ahead of Les Bleus due to a 2-0 win in Konya last June. Iceland is third on 15 points after goals by Arnor Sigurdsson and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson earned a 2-0 home victory over Andorra, with Albania fourth on 12 points following a 4-0 away win against Moldova. French police were on high alert after President Emmanuel Macron said Turkey's military operation against Kurdish forces in Syria could lead to an “unsustainable humanitarian situation” and threatened to “help the Islamic State group re-emerge in the region". With up to 40,000 Turkey fans expected at the stadium, some 1,000 police officers were on duty in and around the Stade de France to prevent potential crowd trouble, but the atmosphere remained peaceful throughout the evening. "We could have avoided that goal," France coach Didier Deschamps said. "We did everything we needed to win that game, we had the chances, they didn't, but it is what it is. "It's a good point. We'll have to finish the job in November," he added, saying Turkey, who have picked up four points against France, deserved to top the group. "We are the two best teams in the group. Qualifiers are always complicated, it's a long road. We should have been more efficient. They defended a lot and they deserve to be where they are." France take on Moldova and Turkey host Iceland in the next round of matches in November. The world champions were still without injured goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, striker Kylian Mbappe and midfielder Paul Pogba, and Wissam Ben Yedder started up front in place of Giroud, who paid for his lack of playing time with Chelsea. France were the most dangerous side as Turkey struggled to cope with the pace of Kingsley Coman but the visiting defence, which had conceded only two goals in qualifying so far, held firm. France midfielder Moussa Sissoko's low shot was blocked by keeper Mert Gunok and Antoine Griezmann's curled shot went just wide as Les Bleus piled on the pressure. Turkey, however, created a chance to opening the scoring on the hour only for Burak Yilmaz to sky his attempt over the bar at the end of a quick counter-attack. With Ben Yedder struggling to find space, Deschamps replaced him with Giroud in the 72nd minute and it the substitute took four minutes to make an impact, heading home Griezmann's corner kick. The hosts' joy, however, was short-lived as Turkey levelled six minutes later when Ayhan nodded in a free kick.

Euro 2020 qualifier: Turkey hold world champions France

Who's Minting Money From The Conflict In West Asia? On the face of it, the conflict in North-East Syria is an ethnic conflict between Kurdish forces & Turkey.

Gravitas: West Asia: An Old Theater Of Conflict

Updates From The Conflict In North-East Syria Where Turkey Has Launched A Military Offensive The conflict in Syria enters the 'dangerous' territory. Turkish forces have struck several targets in North East Syria.

Gravitas: Turkey Invades Syria: The Story So Far

The United States is not aware of any "major" escape of Islamic State extremists since <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-forces-patrolling-between-syrian-turkish-forces-256159">Turkey launched its assault on Syrian Kurdish fighters</a> holding the prisoners, an official said Tuesday.

"We haven't seen any major successful breakout so far of the detainees," the senior administration official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

His remarks appeared at odds with US Defense Secretary Mark Esper who, criticising Turkey on Monday, said the incursion "resulted in the release of many dangerous ISIS detainees."

Vice President Mike Pence will leave within 24 hours to Ankara to press <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-nations-security-council-to-meet-on-turkish-syria-assault-256140">Turkey for a ceasefire in its offensive against Syrian Kurdish fighters</a>, a US official said Tuesday.

"We will launching off to Ankara in the next 24 hours," the official said, a day after Pence announced his trip to Turkey without specifying the timing.

Turkey on Tuesday vowed to pursue its Syria offensive and slammed a "dirty deal" between President Bashar al-Assad's regime and Kurdish forces after the withdrawal of US forces from northern Syria.&nbsp;

"We will continue to combat all terrorist groups, including Daesh, whether or not the world agrees to support our efforts," Fahrettin Altun, communications director at the Turkish presidency, told AFP, using an alternative acronym for the Islamic State group.

Turkish presidency slams 'dirty deal' between Syria's Assad and Kurdish forces.

&nbsp;

The United States is not aware of any "major" escape of Islamic State extremists since Turkey launched its assault on Syrian Kurdish fighters holding the prisoners, an official said Tuesday.

The United States is not aware of any "major" escape of Islamic State extremists since Turkey launched its assault on Syrian Kurdish fighters holding the prisoners, an official said Tuesday. "We haven't seen any major successful breakout so far of the detainees," the senior administration official told reporters on condition of anonymity. His remarks appeared at odds with US Defense Secretary Mark Esper who, criticising Turkey on Monday, said the incursion "resulted in the release of many dangerous ISIS detainees." Vice President Mike Pence will leave within 24 hours to Ankara to press Turkey for a ceasefire in its offensive against Syrian Kurdish fighters, a US official said Tuesday. "We will launching off to Ankara in the next 24 hours," the official said, a day after Pence announced his trip to Turkey without specifying the timing. Turkey on Tuesday vowed to pursue its Syria offensive and slammed a "dirty deal" between President Bashar al-Assad's regime and Kurdish forces after the withdrawal of US forces from northern Syria. "We will continue to combat all terrorist groups, including Daesh, whether or not the world agrees to support our efforts," Fahrettin Altun, communications director at the Turkish presidency, told AFP, using an alternative acronym for the Islamic State group. Turkish presidency slams 'dirty deal' between Syria's Assad and Kurdish forces.

United States officials not aware of escape of Islamic State extremists, Mike Pence leaving for Turkey in 24 hours

Russia said Thursday it was patrolling in areas along the "line of contact" between <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-nations-security-council-to-meet-on-turkish-syria-assault-256140">Syrian and Turkish forces</a>, as the United States-led coalition in Syria confirmed it had pulled its troops from the area.

Russia's defence ministry said the patrols were taking place after Syrian government troops took control of the city of Manbij.

"The Syrian government army has full control over the city of Manbij and nearby settlements," the ministry said in a statement.

"Russian military police continue to patrol the northwestern border area of Manbij district along the line of contact between the Syrian Arab Republic and Turkish armed forces," it said.

"Cooperation is organised with the Turkish side."

A spokesman for the US-led coalition confirmed its forces had pulled out of the area.

"Coalition forces are executing a deliberate withdrawal from northeast Syria. We are out of Manbij," the spokesman said.

Syrian forces moved into the area as part of a deal that has seen regime troops deploy in several Kurdish-controlled areas in Syria's north to protect the region from an assault by Turkish forces.

Russia is a key ally of President Bashar al-Assad and launched a military intervention in 2015 in support of his forces.

Moscow's special envoy on Syria, Alexander Lavrentyev, said Tuesday that it would not allow clashes between Turkish and Syrian forces.

"This would simply be unacceptable...&nbsp;And therefore we will not allow it, of course," Lavrentyev, who was on a visit to the United Arab Emirates, was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.&nbsp;

He said <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/while-burying-their-dead-syrias-kurds-blast-united-states-for-betrayal-256124">Turkish and Syrian officials</a> were in contact to avoid any conflict.&nbsp;

"Negotiations are taking place in real-time," he said.

Russia said Thursday it was patrolling in areas along the "line of contact" between Syrian and Turkish forces, as the United States-led coalition in Syria confirmed it had pulled its troops from the area.

Russia said Thursday it was patrolling in areas along the "line of contact" between Syrian and Turkish forces, as the United States-led coalition in Syria confirmed it had pulled its troops from the area. Russia's defence ministry said the patrols were taking place after Syrian government troops took control of the city of Manbij. "The Syrian government army has full control over the city of Manbij and nearby settlements," the ministry said in a statement. "Russian military police continue to patrol the northwestern border area of Manbij district along the line of contact between the Syrian Arab Republic and Turkish armed forces," it said. "Cooperation is organised with the Turkish side." A spokesman for the US-led coalition confirmed its forces had pulled out of the area. "Coalition forces are executing a deliberate withdrawal from northeast Syria. We are out of Manbij," the spokesman said. Syrian forces moved into the area as part of a deal that has seen regime troops deploy in several Kurdish-controlled areas in Syria's north to protect the region from an assault by Turkish forces. Russia is a key ally of President Bashar al-Assad and launched a military intervention in 2015 in support of his forces. Moscow's special envoy on Syria, Alexander Lavrentyev, said Tuesday that it would not allow clashes between Turkish and Syrian forces. "This would simply be unacceptable... And therefore we will not allow it, of course," Lavrentyev, who was on a visit to the United Arab Emirates, was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies. He said Turkish and Syrian officials were in contact to avoid any conflict. "Negotiations are taking place in real-time," he said.

Russian forces patrolling between Syrian, Turkish groups

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