Turkey will "never declare a ceasefire" without meeting its objectives

The World with AFP and Reuters Posted today at 05h39

Time to Reading 2 min.

Less than a week after the start of Ankara's offensive against Kurdish forces in northern Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan categorically dismissed an American proposal to intervene for a ceasefire on Tuesday October 15, in daily statements Hurriyet.

The Turkish president said that the entry of the Syrian army in Manbij did not represent a development "Very negative" for his country as the region is emptied of Syrian Kurdish fighters. And to add: " Why ? Because it's their territory. "

"We are not concerned about sanctions"

Erdogan reiterated his refusal to consent to requests from US leaders. "They tell us "declare a ceasefire". We can never declare a ceasefire " as long as Turkey has not hunted "The terrorist organization" from the border, he told reporters on the plane bringing him back from Azerbaijan. "They are putting pressure on us to stop the operation. We have a clear goal. We are not concerned about sanctions "said Mr Erdogan again.

US Vice President Mike Pence will meet with Erdogan on Thursday with the stated goal of getting a "Immediate ceasefire" in northern Syria. Pence will be accompanied in Turkey by Mike Pompeo, chief of the American diplomacy, Robert O'Brien, adviser to the national security, and James Jeffrey, American emissary for Syria, specified the White House.

The vice president "Reaffirm Mr. Trump's commitment to maintain punitive economic sanctions against Turkey until a solution is found"said the US executive.

Urgent discussions

Meanwhile, Moscow announced that Bashar al-Assad's forces had taken control of the entire Syrian city of Manbij and its environs, as part of a deployment to counter the Turkish offensive. Information immediately confirmed by the international anti-jihadist coalition led by the United States.

The arrival of Syrian government forces in this city controlled since July 2018 by a military council composed of Arab and Kurdish fighters is a first since 2012. The city is located 30 kilometers from the Turkish border.

Russian military police "Conduct patrols at the northwestern borders of the region, along the line of contact" between Syrian and Turkish forces, the Russian Defense Ministry added in a statement. The Russian special envoy for Syria, Alexander Lavrentiev, for his part assured that Moscow would not allow clashes between the Turkish and Syrian armies.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart spoke by telephone, the Kremlin said on Tuesday night, adding that Recep Tayyip Erdogan had accepted the invitation to travel to Russia in the coming days for urgent discussions.