Image: aa.com.tr
The Turkish military and its Syrian proxies have violated the ceasefire in northeast Syria, which was announced by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence a day earlier.
A spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said that Turkish forces attacked the Kurdish group’s positions in the border town of Ras al-Ayn early on October 18.
“Despite the agreement to halt the fighting, air and artillery attacks continue to target the positions of fighters, civilian settlements and the hospital in Serêkaniyê/Ras al-Ayn. Turkey is violating the ceasefire agreement by continuing to attack the town since last night,” Mustafa Bali wrote on Twitter.
According to the Hawar News Agency (ANHA), the Turkish-led attack targeted the village of Umm al-Khair in the vicinity of Ras al-Ayn. A fighter of the SDF was killed and at least two others were injured.
The ceasefire announced by Pence late on October 17 is supposed to last 120 hours, allowing Kurdish forces to withdraw from the designated 32 km deep “safe-zone” along the border with Turkey.
The Turkish violation of the ceasefire reflects it fragile nature. In the last two years, Ankara and Washington reached several similar agreements on SDF-held areas, all of which failed within a few months.
This breach is localized and targets SDF. I interpret it as a friendly reminder to the SDF of the purpose of the ceasefire – the SDF is to get out. So Turkey is providing encouragement. Also, the protracted bitter fighting over a border town that was expected to fall easily has put both sides on edge and if there is a place where breach of cease fire is most likely, it would be around the town of Ras Al-Ayn.
However, if violation escalate, spread geographically, and/or involve SAA or Russia, then we should become concerned. Erdogan is a political survivor and I do not see him making such a risky move unless his ego gets the best of him in his quest for a new Ottoman Empire – which IMO is unlikely.
But but but, Trump tweeted that this ceasefire would save millions of lives ! He probably believes he should receive the noble peace prize for this. :0
Trump is surely entitled to two Nobel Peace Prizes. One for his ego and the other for his hairpiece. :)
We have to reintroduce the Nobel Peace Prize as it was renamed in 2009 in honour of Obama to the Nobel Prize for Atrocities and the US has won the award twice already. First for saving the Libyan people from Gaddafi and second, for their undisputed crowning achievement, the ‘liberation’ of Raqqa.
Seriously, if we somehow get through this without blowing ourselves up, then the Nobel Peace Prize should be awarded to all the people of all nations – the whole world deserves the prize.
Turks never knew civilization, and now agreement for this barbarians? Huh
Kurds took 2 yesrs to get an agreement with syria, dont be such a hypocrite please.
The Kurdish leaders in Syria seem like they are not only agents of USA but also agents of Turkey now too, they are receiving double salary now, that was the deal USA and Turkey reached last night.
Anyone believing anything turks and US are saying?