Turkey accuses Kurdish forces of violating the ceasefire, and vice-versa

Turkey on Saturday accuses Kurdish forces of violating the truce in northeastern Syria on several occasions
since its entry into force on Thursday. "The Turkish armed forces fully respect the agreement negotiated Thursday with the United States, provides the Turkish Ministry of Defense in a statement. Despite this, terrorists (a term used by Turkey to refer to
Kurdish YPG forces) have led a total of 14 attacks in the last 36 hours. "

The ministry said 12 attacks came from the Syrian border town of Ras al-Ain, one from Tal Abyad and another from the Tal Tamr area, indicating that a variety of light and heavy weapons, including rockets, had been used.

For its part, the general command of the SDS said in a statement Saturday its "commitment to respect the ceasefire." But one of their commanders, Redur Khalil, told AFP that "Turkish side, we do not respect, not allowing the opening of a humanitarian corridor to get out injured and civilians stranded in the city of Ras al Ain. "

The situation appeared calm on Saturday morning, according to AFP correspondents in Ceylanpinar, a Turkish town facing Ras al-Ain, which Turkish forces were about to capture at the YPG before the truce came into force. Unlike previous days, no bombing could be heard from Ceylanpinar. In the night, only a few shots from Turkey to Ras al-Ain were heard, according to witnesses.

Civilians killed despite truce

After talks with the United States, Turkey announced Thursday it agreed to suspend its offensive in Syria for five days. But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned on Friday that he would resume his military operations against Kurdish forces if they did not withdraw quickly from the border area of ​​north-eastern Syria, where Turkey wants to establish a "safe zone" . Friday this truce however seemed to waver with the death of 14 civilians in northeastern Syria in Turkish bombing, according to the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (OSDH).

Asked in Brussels by journalists about the ceasefire agreement wrested Thursday from President Erdogan, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo acknowledged that he had not been "instantly" implemented by the belligerents. He pointed out problems of "coordination" to ensure "a secure withdrawal of the YPG (Kurds of People's Protection Units) fighters from the Turkish-controlled area covered by the agreement".