For the last few days, I have chronicled the events in North Syria, following the Turkish invasion. As a ceasefire has been reached, I will pause this chronicle unless further developments happen.
Thanks everyone who read and supported my blog.
Headlines
- Turkey agrees to pause attacks in northern Syria for five days
- Turkish president Erdogan ‘threw Trump’s Syria letter in the bin”
- US troops bombed their own anti-ISIS headquarters as Turkey-backed fighters closed in during Trump’s hasty retreat
- Turkey on UK-led Nato exercise in Scotland amid Syria tensions
Good Read
- The hasty U.S. pullback from Syria is a searing moment in America’s withdrawal from the Middle East. Liz Sly
From Twitter
Great news out of Turkey. News Conference shortly with @VP and @SecPompeo. Thank you to @RTErdogan. Millions of lives will be saved!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 17, 2019
I just realized something. The ceasefire will last 120 hours = 5 days.
Erdogan will be meeting Putin in Sochi on October 22nd = 5 days from now.
Putin will decide which way it all goes… https://t.co/YZqyVcmILT
— Jenan Moussa (@jenanmoussa) October 17, 2019
HIGHLIGHTS FROM GENERAL MAZLUM KOBANI’S INTERVIEW:
-There is a ceasefire agreement in the area between Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad
– We will do everything necessary to make the ceasefire a success+
— Burak Aydin (@burakaydin_21) October 17, 2019
– This agreement is tentative and will ensure a halt to the Turkish occupation of the region
– Kurdish political parties must resolve the disputes between them at this time"#SDF #Kurds #Syria #Turkey— Burak Aydin (@burakaydin_21) October 17, 2019
Elephant in room: Russia / Putin. With major influence in Syria he can either sink Trump-Erdogan deal or give it some life.
Russian delegation already in Turkey. Remains to be seen how Assad and YPG respond.
For now this is a stop gap measure for military op. for 5 days..
— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) October 17, 2019
So, angry at Turkey's military operation, Pence went to Ankara to help Turkey secure gains it hadn't yet made on the battlefield in return for the US lifting sanctions? https://t.co/9uOyZJ8xna
— Nicholas Danforth (@NicholasDanfort) October 17, 2019
I stand ready to continue working with the President to build upon this breakthrough.
And I also stand ready to work in a bipartisan fashion to ensure this incursion by Turkey into northeastern Syria ends without further strategic damage to the United States.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 17, 2019
The Cease-fire deal is exactly what #Turkey wanted and will mean the Kurdish cities will fall in the so-called safe zone. The US administration should work towards a deal which is a real compromise and protects their #Kurdish allies not for complete surrender of their areas.
— Dr. Mahmoud Othman (@Drmahmoudothman) October 17, 2019
And the Kurds will happily evaporate… ever … after..#wishfulthinking https://t.co/TshRqRxcUK
— Nervana Mahmoud (@Nervana_1) October 17, 2019
#Turkey President's office confirms to @bbcturkce that when President #Erdogan received #Trump's letter, he "thoroughly rejected it, threw it in the bin" and launched the #Syria operation the same day. His mind was already made up to move in; letter was reportedly the final straw pic.twitter.com/pHaiyF5skG
— Mark Lowen (@marklowen) October 17, 2019
#UPDATE Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Thursday his forces will counter Turkey's invasion by "all legitimate means", in his first remarks since deploying troops near the border to support Ankara's Kurdish rivals https://t.co/VOK29RUWLj #Assad
— AFP news agency (@AFP) October 17, 2019
Turkish backed Jihadists help transport the escaped ISIS prisoners and their families in NE-Syria. Note the guy behind him in ISIS uniform. #StandWithTheKurds #BoycottTurkey pic.twitter.com/8M1lNyDuJK
— VdC-NsY شمال سوريا (@vdcnsy) October 16, 2019
Aris makes an important point. In this war, we can expect each side to call themselves the good guy & their enemy, the bad guy. But what do victims of the conflict who are of neither group say? Ask the Yazidis. They will overwhelmingly tell you it was the YPG/PKK who saved them https://t.co/2cFwxqAOqs
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) October 16, 2019
Gotta love @SpeakerPelosi. #Tump said he brought the troops from #Syria home. Pelosi:"is Saudi Arabia home?". Trump:"well the #SaudiArabians are paying for it." Translation:#Kurds are poor, Saudis have cash. #Arsenal for Democracy? Hell no,arsenal for cash.https://t.co/8vTsIpdrMr
— Hisham Melhem (@hisham_melhem) October 17, 2019
He underlined that the intervention is purely military and the regime won’t interfere in their local self-administration and people's affairs at all (2)
The statement comes after fears among parts of Raqqa population for GoS return. pic.twitter.com/RuhjYyKNbS
— Wladimir (@vvanwilgenburg) October 17, 2019
We urge international organizations to send their teams to investigate some wounds sustained in attacks. The medical facilities in NE Syria lack expert teams following withdrawal of NGO’s due to Turkish invasion attacks. 2/2
— Mustafa Bali (@mustefabali) October 16, 2019
#BREAKING Heath commission in NE #Syria, states 218 civilians killed among them 18 children, 653 wounded among them 35 children. In addition to 5 medical workers killed and 6 kidnapped since Turkish aggression against NE #Syria. pic.twitter.com/IKetcHZuVK
— Shino Can (@sincan2023) October 17, 2019
Our @K24English @redwanbezar interviewed a SAA commander yest before they entered Kobani.
1st Lieutenant Hosam told k24 that they are here "to defend our lands from Turkey’s occupation. We are here to protect civilians, especially women and children, from the Turkish criminals" pic.twitter.com/eIzh2movuM
— Wladimir (@vvanwilgenburg) October 17, 2019
Only to allow Assad to recapture the city with utmost ease. #KurdsBetrayedByTrump https://t.co/cVyDjDeUtv
— Nervana Mahmoud (@Nervana_1) October 17, 2019
The operation has left over 200,000 people displaced from their homes. Civilians have been killed and wounded in the crossfire. And the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are now retaking territory. pic.twitter.com/kekjm1RkjT
— Haley Willis (@heytherehaIey) October 16, 2019
North Syria in one photo.
Pic by @Delilsouleman. pic.twitter.com/r2WBd3x7ZT
— Jenan Moussa (@jenanmoussa) October 17, 2019
Nervana 