Turkey denies ceasefire with U.S.-backed Syrian forces, continues preparations

Investing.com -- In a recent development, a Turkish defense ministry official denied any ceasefire agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a U.S.-backed group, in northern Syria. This contradicts an earlier announcement made by the U.S. State Department, which stated that a ceasefire around the city of Manbij had been extended until the end of the week.

The Turkish official, who chose to remain anonymous, denied the possibility of Turkey engaging in talks with what it considers a terrorist organization. The SDF, however, accused Turkey of hindering international efforts to achieve a ceasefire. In a statement, the SDF claimed that Turkey and its mercenaries continued their attacks on the southern front of the city of Kobani, despite the ceasefire decision.

The U.S. had earlier brokered a temporary ceasefire between Turkey-backed Syrian rebels and the SDF, following a conflict that resulted in the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. The SDF, which is an ally of the U.S. in its fight against Islamic State militants, is led by the YPG, a group that Turkey perceives as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Turkey has been battling the PKK, which it considers a terrorist group, for 40 years.

While the U.S. and Turkey's Western allies have also listed the PKK as a terrorist organization, they do not classify the YPG and the SDF as such. The Turkish official reaffirmed that Turkey continues to view the northern Syria region as a threat to its borders and will continue its preparations against terrorism until the PKK/YPG disarms and its foreign fighters leave Syria.

The official also indicated that Turkey believes the Syrian National Army, an ally paramilitary group, will "liberate" YPG-controlled areas in north Syria. This suggests that Turkey does not currently plan to launch an operation into the region.

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Source: Investing.com