ANKARA, Oct 16 (NNN-ANADOLU) – Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, late on Tuesday, rejected the offer of his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, for a cease-fire with the Syrian Kurdish fighters, but agreed to keep in dialogue with Washington.
Speaking to journalists on his way from Baku to Ankara, Erdogan said, in a phone conversation with Trump, Trump proposed to mediate for a cease-fire between Turkey and the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in Syria, and decided to send a delegation to Ankara for this bid.
The delegation, led by U.S. Vice President, Mike Pence, will arrive in Turkey on Wednesday (today), Erdogan said, adding that, he will not accept a cease-fire first.
“I told President Trump that we would not declare a cease-fire before discussing other issues … we will make a deal first, then we will talk about the truce,” Turkish broadcaster, NTV quoted Erdogan as saying.
Turkish armed forces are making an effort to clear northern Syria of “terror organisations” and Turkey cannot declare a cease-fire before the YPG, which Ankara sees as the Syrian branch of outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), was eliminated from its borders, said Erdogan.
With regard to U.S. sanctions announced on Monday, the Turkish president noted that, the United States is exerting pressure on Ankara as the YPG is rapidly losing its position, after Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria.
“We have no worries about any sanctions,” he stressed.
Concerning Russian declaration that the Syrian government forces have fully controlled the Syrian town of Manbij that the Turkish army is advancing towards, Erdogan said “it is not a problem.”
“In the end, it is their (Syrian) land,” said Erdogan, stressing that, however, it is important for Turkey to eliminate the presence of the YPG in the town.
Meanwhile, the U.S. on Monday, rolled out a package of sanctions on Turkey, over its ongoing military operation in Syria.– NNN-ANADOLU