i24NEWS – AFP October 22, 2019, 1:22 PM –
latest revision October 22, 2019, 9:28 PM
Ankara leader gives ultimatum of 150 hours before Kurdish forces ‘removed’ from region
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hailed “a historic agreement” with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin after hours of talks between the two leaders over the conflict in Syria.
“According to this agreement, Turkey and Russia will not allow any separatist agenda on Syrian territory,” Erdogan said, addressing reporters alongside Putin after the talks in the Russian city of Sochi.
Erdogan also announced a 150-hour deadline beginning on Wednesday for Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters and their weapons to be moved back 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the Turkish border.
“Within 150 hours starting at 1200 noon on October 23, YPG terrorists and their weapons will be removed to the depth of 30 kilometers and their … positions will be destroyed,” Erdogan said.
He added that after the deadline, Turkish and Russian joint patrols would start in two zones stretching six miles to the east and west of the area of Turkey’s current Operation Peace Spring.
“All YPG terrorists in Tal Firat and Manbij will be removed outside this region, together with their weaponry,” he said.
Erdogan also said both countries would take necessary measures against “terrorist infiltration” and create a “joint mechanism” to coordinate the agreement.