Turkey Briefs Foreign Military Attaches On Operation Peace Spring In Syria

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd October, 2019) The Turkish Defense Ministry on Monday held a briefing for military attaches from 63 countries on current Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria.

On Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US Vice President Mike Pence reached an agreement on a 120-hour ceasefire in northern Syria to allow the withdrawal of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) from the Turkish border area. However, both Ankara and the Kurds have accused each other of violating the truce.

"The military attaches working in Ankara from 63 countries were informed at the Ministry of Defense about Operation Peace Spring and the current situation in Syria," the ministry said in a statement.

Turkey launched the controversial cross-border offensive in northern Syria on October 9 in an attempt to build a safe zone and clear the area of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Ankara regards as a terrorist group. The offensive has faced widespread condemnation from across the globe.

Despite the ceasefire deal, Erdogan vowed to continue the operation unless the US kept its promise concerning the withdrawal of allied Kurdish forces.

The Turkish president said earlier on Monday that he would decide on the next steps in the Syrian operation after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi on October 22.