The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said that the Turkish side did not allow for the agreed-upon ceasefire to open a safe corridor to evacuate civilians and wounded who are besieged in the Syrian border town of Ras Al-Ain.
On Thursday, Erdogan has agreed to start a truce in northeast Syria after a meeting with US Vice President Mike Pence. The truce imposes a five-day ceasefire in Northeast Syria to allow Kurdish fighters to withdraw.
SDF called on Pence to take responsibility for enforcing the five-day ceasefire.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Kurdish forces that the Turkish army would resume a “full-scale operation” against Kurdish fighters if they did not withdraw from the recently agreed safe zone.
He noted on Saturday that he will discuss the possibility of replacing Kurdish forces with Syrian forces along the border and in the region.
On the other hand, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad said that his country will confront the “Turkish invasion” by all legitimate means. He called for the immediate withdrawal of Turkish and American militaries, “they are invading forces according to the international law.”
Meanwhile, Erdogan said in a press conference on Friday that the Kurdish forces known as SDF must withdraw without exception from a swathe of land 30km deep inside Syrian territories.
Ten days ago, Turkey launched its Syria invasion despite a wide international and Arab condemnation. Ankara, which hosts thousands of Syrian refugees since the outbreak of the Syrian uprising in 2012, considers the Kurdish forces a threat to Turkey and accuses the SDF of having links to the banned Kurdish Workers Party (PKK).
