Pence says Turkey agrees to Syria ceasefire
Turkey has agreed to a ceasefire in northern Syria between its forces and their allied rebels and U.S.-backed Syrian Kurds, Vice President Mike Pence announced.Erdogan had repeatedly rejected the idea, saying his government would not negotiate with what it considers a terrorist organization.
That was seen as giving a green light to Erdogan to attack the Kurds that had been armed by and fought alongside the U.S. against ISIS, losing 11,000 troops in that battle. Turkey considers these forces, known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, to be terrorists, indistinguishable from Kurdish separatists in Turkey that Turkey and the U.S. both have designated as terrorists.
Pence was joined by U.S. special envoy for Syria Jim Jeffrey, a veteran diplomat who previously served as ambassador to Turkey and served as translator during the meeting. The day Turkey launched its offensive last week, Trump admonished Erdogan in a surreal personal letter in which he threatened to be"responsible for destroying the Turkish economy" and said his fellow leader should not be"a tough guy" or a"fool." The letter was first reported by Fox News and later confirmed as accurate to ABC News by a senior administration official.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Turkey agrees to Syria ceasefire: Vice President Mike PenceVice Pres. Pence: 'I'm grateful for the president's leadership. I'm grateful for the more than five hours of negotiations with Pres. Erdogan...that arrived at a solution that we believe will save lives.'
Read more »
Pence to urge Turkey to halt Syria offensive as threat of further sanctions loomU.S. Vice President Mike Pence will urge Turkey on Thursday to halt its offensiv...
Read more »
Pence Leads U.S. Efforts to Halt Turkey Offensive in SyriaVice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in the Turkish capital to press President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to halt a cross-border offensive in northeastern Syria that has deepened a rift between the two NATO allies.
Read more »
Vice President Mike Pence to head delegation to Turkey for ceasefire talksNEW: Democratic congressional leaders urge Congress to unite behind 'bicameral, bipartisan resolution opposing the president’s decision in Syria.' 'Sanity and strength must be immediately restored to America’s national security.'
Read more »
Turkish president won't meet with Pence over Syria ceasefireTurkish President Erdogan has said he will refuse to meet with Vice President Mike Pence, who is due to travel to Turkey to argue for a ceasefire in the ongoing Syria conflict.
Read more »
Pence and Pompeo begin uphill task of crafting cease-fire between Turkey and KurdsVice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo arrive in Turkey on a mission to douse a crisis that's been dismissed by President Trump.
Read more »