Turkish and US delegations on Thursday evening held a meeting in Ankara co-chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US Vice President Mike Pence. The closed-door meeting lasted 2 hours and 40 minutes.
"Operation Peace Spring is not stopped but paused," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in a news conference following the meeting. "This is not a cease-fire. Turkey can only stop the operation once all terror elements leave the (Syria) safe zone."
"This deal does not only include the withdrawal of YPG terrorists but also having their weapons seized and their fortifications and positions dismantled," he said. As part of the agreement, the US has said it will facilitate the orderly withdrawal of the PKK-affiliated terrorist group within 120 hours, as well as seize heavy weapons and disable fortifications belonging to the YPG.
The delegations also agreed that Ayn al-Arab will not be included in the safe zone in northern Syria, which is to be "primarily enforced" by the Turkish Armed Forces, according to the agreement.
Vice President Pence said in a separate news conference the YPG will withdraw from the demarcation line 32 kilometers (20 miles) south of the Turkish border, stating several times that an "orderly withdrawal" is already underway.
"The YPG has given us repeated assurances that they are leaving the areas specified under the agreement," Pence told reporters.
He said that after the YPG withdrawal from the safe zone area and the end of military engagement, the US will continue to engage diplomatically and humanitarianly, but not militarily, in Syria.
Pence also noted that once a "permanent cease-fire" is reached, the US will withdraw current sanctions against Turkey and will not impose more.
"Erdogan has given the opportunity for a peaceful solution," Pence said, adding: "I am grateful for the more than five-hour negotiation."
He said Thursday's agreement is a credit to the strong relationship between Erdogan and Trump and between Turkey and the US.
Pence said that the agreement states that Turkey and the US remain committed to fight ISIS.
Immediately following the meeting, US President Donald Trump tweeted, "Great news out of Turkey." He thanked President Erdogan, saying: "Millions of lives will be saved!"
Erdogan later responded to the tweet, telling the US president, "many more lives will be saved when we defeat terrorism, which is humanity's arch enemy."
"I am confident that this joint effort will promote peace and stability in our region," Erdogan added in the tweet.
Trump had earlier invited Erdogan to the White House on Nov. 13. The Turkish leader has said he will only decide on visiting Washington after the US delegation talks.
"We see the invitation as still valid," Cavusoglu said following the meeting. "I hope our expectations will be met and the necessary steps taken so that we can pay this visit."
Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring, the third in a series of cross-border anti-terror operations in northern Syria targeting terrorists affiliated with Daesh and the PKK's Syrian offshoot the People's Protection Units (YPG), on Oct. 9.
Based on DS
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