Turkish border town residents optimistic over pause agreement in northern Syria

Record ID: 1437393

  • Title: Turkish border town residents optimistic over pause agreement in northern Syria
  • Date: 18th October 2019
  • Summary: AKCAKALE, TURKEY (OCTOBER 18, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS MILITARY CONVOY OF TURKEY-BACKED REBELS DRIVING ALONG BORDER / REBELS ON TOP OF VEHICLES TURKISH SOLDIER GUARDING ON TURKEY-SYRIA BORDER REBEL GETTING ON TOP OF MILITARY VEHICLE REBEL SHOUTING IN ARABIC / VEHICLE DRIVING AWAY MILITARY VEHICLE ALONG BORDER VARIOUS OF MAN FIXING A BICYCLE / CHILDREN WAITING NEARBY (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DISPLACED SYRIAN FROM TEL ABYAD, OF TURKMEN MINORITY, TAHA IBRAHIM ALI, SAYING: "We were forced to leave our villages because of the PKK and PYD, they forced a demographic change that affected Turkmen minorities (like us), they burned down our homes and they took our lands. Now, we are happy and hopeful with the entrance of the Turkish military and the Syrian National Army to our lands to liberate us from this gang.'' VARIOUS OF DAMAGED HOUSE HIT BY A MORTAR SHELL MEN AT LOCAL GROCERY (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) AKCAKALE RESIDENT AND GROCERY OWNER, AHMET DOGAN, SAYING: "I believe in the decision (120 hours of pause) that our President Erdogan has made, I believe these PKK (Kurdish militia) members went down on their knees and I also support this decision." VARIOUS OF AKCAKALE RESIDENTS WALKING IN STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) AKCAKALE RESIDENT MAHMUT TOK, SAYING: "We trust our President, God willing this peace will last long and will be good. God willing everybody will be in peace and no more lives will be lost." AMBULANCE DRIVING
  • Embargoed: 1st November 2019 10:24
  • Keywords: reaction Syrian opposition border town Turkey civilians YPG Akcakale Syria ceasefire military operation Kurdish militia
  • Location: AKCAKALE, TURKEY
  • City: AKCAKALE, TURKEY
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
  • Reuters ID: LVA001B1MH747
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Residents of the Turkish border town of Akcakale said on Friday (October 18) they hoped the decision by Turkey to pause its military operation in northeastern Syria will help bring lasting peace to the region, a day after Turkey and U.S. agreed on a deal for a ceasefire of 120 hours to allow Kurdish militants to leave from a ''safe zone'' that Turkey is seeking to establish.
    Taha Ibrahim Ali, a displaced Syrian from Tel Abyad who said he belonged to a minority that was forced to flee because of Kurdish militant groups PYD and PKK, said: "Now, we are happy and hopeful ...''
    The truce was announced some 13 hours earlier by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence after talks in Ankara with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey agreed to the five-day pause to let the Kurdish-led SDF militia withdraw.
    The deal was praised by U.S. President Donald Trump, who said it would save "millions of lives," while Turkey cast it as a complete victory.
    If implemented, the deal would achieve all the main objectives Turkey announced when it launched its assault on Oct. 9: control of a strip of Syria more than 30 km (20 miles) deep, with the SDF forces - once U.S. allies in the years long fight against Islamic State - obliged to pull out.
    (Production: Mehmet Emin Caliskan, Omer Berberoglu, Deniz Uyar)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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