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US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday (October 15th) that Vice President Mike Pence and US Foreign Minister Mike Pompeo will travel to Turkey on Wednesday to negotiate a ceasefire in Syria. Turkey is determined to continue its military operation against Syrian Kurdish forces.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he told his US counterpart Donald Trump that Turkey would never proclaim a ceasefire in northern Syria, where Turkish forces have been intervening since Oct. 9, the Turkish chain reported on Tuesday. NTV.
" We will continue to fight against all terrorist groups, including Daesh (Arabic acronym of the Islamic State group, ed), that the world accepts or not to support us ," said for his part to AFP the director of communication of the Turkish Presidency, Fahrettin Altun. He also denounced the " dirty market " between the Kurdish forces and the Assad regime .
In addition, Fahrettin Altun said that Ankara and Washington " agree on the need to fight and prevent the resurgence of Daesh, " but accuses US administration of Barack Obama of having " outsourced " this fight to " A terrorist organization ", in this case the YPGs.
These statements come in the wake of a strong warning from US President Donald Trump who called on Turkey to end its military operation launched Oct. 9. The US president also announced a series of sanctions .
Washington wants a ceasefire
US Vice President Mike Pence will visit Turkey on Wednesday October 16th. He will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday in hopes of negotiating a ceasefire between Turkish and Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria.
Mike Pence will be joined by Mike Pompeo, US Chief of Diplomacy, National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien, and US envoy for Syria James Jeffrey. The head of the American diplomacy, Mike Pompeo will also be part of the trip.
Mike Pence announces that he will ask Turkey to " end the invasion to an immediate cease-fire and begin negotiations to restore peace and stability in the region ."
At President @ realDonaldTrump's direction, tomorrow I will lead a delegation with @SecPompeo, NSA Robert O'Brien & Amb. James Jeffrey to call on Turkey to stop the invasion, enact an immediate ceasefire & begin negotiations to restore peace and stability to the region. pic.twitter.com/UanvagFxk8
Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) October 15, 2019Erdogan discusses with Washington and Moscow the fate of Kobane and Manbij
Returning from a trip to Baku, Azerbaijan, President Erdogan told reporters who were accompanying him on the plane that US sanctions were not bothering him and that talks were continuing between Ankara, Washington and Moscow on Wednesday. fate of the Syrian cities of Kobane and Manbij.
The entry of Syrian forces in Manbij is " not negative ", he said, as long as the Kurdish forces in the area are driven out.
In response to Donald Trump's offer of mediation between Turkey and the Kurdish forces, Erdogan replied that Turkey "will not negotiate with a terrorist organization ". Ankara considers the Kurds of northern Syria as allies of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, in an armed struggle against
Turkish government in southeastern Turkey.
(with agencies)