Pence and ErdoÄŸan agree on ceasefire plan but Kurds reject 'occupation'
by Bethan McKernan in Istanbul and Julian Borger in W from on (#4SQNR)
- Mike Pence strikes deal with Turkish president in Ankara
- Agreement appears to cement key Turkish objectives
The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip ErdoAan, has agreed with the US vice-president, Mike Pence, to suspend Ankara's operation on Kurdish-led forces in north-east Syria for the next five days in order to allow Kurdish troops to withdraw, potentially halting the latest bloodshed in Syria's long war.
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters would pull back from Turkey's proposed 20-mile (32km) deep "safe zone" on its border, Pence told reporters in Ankara on Thursday evening after hours of meetings with Turkish officials.
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