UPDATE - US Delegation To Go To Turkey 'As Quickly As Possible' To Discuss Syria - Official

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th October, 2019) Washington sees a possibility of a ceasefire in northern Syria, where Turkey launched a military operation earlier this month; and senior US officials will visit Ankara in the near future for talks, a White House official told reporters.

"We do remain committed to pursuing a negotiated resolution to the situation which is why the president directed a senior level delegation to depart for Ankara as quickly as possible to see if we can achieve a deal. The president is deeply committed to ending the unnecessary violence and loss of life in the northeast," a senior US administration official said on Monday.

Earlier on Monday, US Vice President Mike Pence said he was directed by US President Donald Trump to lead a delegation to Turkey together with National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien.

"What we're trying to do know is first of all, restore the situation as best we can via ceasefire, via reconciliation of the various interests that are in play at this time in the northeast and ensuring that the various forces, which involve not only .

.. the SDF [Syrian Democratic Forces], our own troops that are still on the ground, the Turkish military ... as well as Russian and Syrian forces, to get them all to hold in place and to then come forward with a set of plans," the US official explained.

Asked about the exact time when the US delegation is expected to arrive in Turkey, the official declined to comment, explaining that Washington did not think the ceasefire negotiations were possible earlier in the day, "but now we do."

"I think the President would not be willing to send a high-level delegation on short notice like this unless he was pretty confident there was at least a chance at getting to a ceasefire," the White House official said.