'Clock ticking' for Turkey's Syria anti-terror op pause

ANKARA

Turkey expects the U.S. to fulfill its commitments regarding the agreement on YPG/PKK terror group's withdrawal from the planned safe zone in northern Syria, said a senior Turkish official on Sunday.

In a Twitter post, Turkey's Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said Turkey put its anti-terror operation on hold for 120 hours, and said: "In return, US has an obligation to facilitate YPG’s withdrawal and collect its heavy weapons."

There is an effort to distort the facts about the Turkey-US agreement. Here’s the bottom line:

1) Turkey put #OperationPeaceSpring on hold for 120 hrs.

2) In return, US has an obligation to facilitate YPG’s withdrawal and collect its heavy weapons.

The ⏰ is ticking.

— Fahrettin Altun (@fahrettinaltun) October 20, 2019

Altun slammed efforts seeking to distort the facts about Turkey-U.S. agreement.

“The clock is ticking,” he added.

On Oct. 9, Turkey had launched Operation Peace Spring to eliminate terrorists from northern Syria in order to secure Turkey’s borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.

On Oct. 17, Turkey agreed to pause its Operation Peace Spring for 120 hours to allow the withdrawal of terrorist YPG/PKK forces from the planned safe zone.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence also agreed on Turkey having 20 miles (32 kilometers) of safe zone south of the Turkish border in Syria.

Ankara wants to clear northern Syria east of the Euphrates River of the terrorist PKK and its Syrian offshoot, the YPG/PKK.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union -- has been responsible for deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.