Ceasefire reached between Turkish and Kurdish forces after US delegation meets in Turkey

“Today I’m proud to report, thanks to the strong leadership of President Donald Trump and the strong relationship between President Erdoğan and Turkey and the United States of America, that today the United States and Turkey have agreed to a cease-fire in Syria,” Pence said.

Pence said that Turkey agreed to pause its military operation, Peace Spring, in Syria for 120 hours until Kurdish forces withdraw from a nearly 20-mile wide safe zone south of the Turkish border in Syria.

“All military operations under Operation Peace Spring will be paused, and Operation Peace Spring will be halted entirely on completion of the withdrawal,” the vice president added.

“In addition, the United States and Turkey have both mutually committed to a peaceful resolution and future for the safe zone, working on an international basis to ensure that peace and security defines this border region of Syria,” he added.

Pence also said that Turkey and the U.S. have “mutually committed” to defeat the Islamic State’s operations in northern Syria.

“This will also include an agreement renewed today to coordinate efforts on detention facilities and internally displaced persons in formerly ISIS-controlled areas,” Pence said.

A copy of a statement outlining terms of the agreement was released on Twitter. It shows a number of points that the two sides negotiated, including the pause Turkey’s military operation. It also said that pending the successful implementation of the ceasefire, the U.S. would end its recently imposed sanctions against the Turkish economy.

After meeting bipartisan backlash, Trump has continued to defend his decision to move troops out of the area allowing Turkey to invade Syria. He said troops shouldn’t be in the region as “two countries fight over land that has nothing to do with us.”