Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring last week with the aim of pushing Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) south of the border and establishing a “safe zone” that could accommodate as many as two million Syrian refugees now living in Turkey. The focus of the initial phase of the operation has been around the border towns of Sari Kani (Ras al-Ain) and Gire Spi (Tal Abyad).
The SDF reached a deal with the regime in Damascus for regime forces to deploy to the border areas, apart from the two towns where clashes were ongoing. The United States then brokered a temporary truce between Turkey and the SDF that gives the SDF five days to pull out of Sari Kani and Gire Spi, hand over their heavy weapons, and move southward some 32 kilometres to the M4 highway, after which Turkey would commit to a full ceasefire. The precise details of the agreement are disputed.
Speaking at an event in Kayseri, central Turkey on Saturday, Erdogan implied he was not happy with the arrangement that brings the Syrian Arab Army to the Turkish border.
"There are the [Syrian] regime forces – which are protected by Russia – in a part of the operation's geography. I will discuss this issue with Mr. Putin on Tuesday because we have to find a solution,” he said.
A solution “has to happen. If not, we will continue with our own plans," he said. The ultimate goal of Turkey’s operation is for the safe zone to stretch 440 kilometres from the Euphrates River to Iraq.
The five-day ceasefire will expire on Tuesday, coinciding with Erdogan’s visit to Russia.
"On Tuesday, inshallah I will be in Russia's Sochi. I will talk about these [things] with Putin as well. Then we will continue our path," Erdogan said. Ankara has backed Syrian opposition groups against the government of Bashar al-Assad. Turkey is hosting about 3.6 million refugees who have fled Syria since the conflict began in 2011.
Regime forces have been deployed to areas around Kobane, Tal Tamir, Manbij, and Raqqa though only the first two lie within Turkey’s proposed safe zone.
The Damascus government has not officially commented on the ceasefire, but its official stance is that all foreign troops – including the Turks and the Americans – must withdraw from Syrian soil.
Erdogan also threatened to pick up its offensive against the SDF “where we left off,” if the Kurdish fighters don’t abide by the ceasefire.
Both sides have accused the other of violating the truce.
“Despite [the deal] the PKK/YPG terrorists have violated [the ceasefire] 14 times – 12 in Ras al-Ain, one in Tal Abyad and one in Tal Tamir – in the last 36 hours,” the Turkish defense ministry stated on Saturday afternoon, referring to the Kurdish armed group that forms the backbone of the SDF.
Mustafa Bali, spokesperson for the SDF, said on Friday that Turkey has been continuously violating the ceasefire since Thursday night.
The Kurdish Red Crescent says it has documented 20 deaths since the ceasefire began.
US President Donald Trump, tweeting on Friday, said that Erdogan had told him “there was minor sniper and mortar fire that was quickly eliminated,” adding that both sides are committed to making the truce succeed.
SDF commander Mazloum Kobani Abdi accused Turkey of “preventing” their forces and civilians from leaving Sari Kani (Ras al-Ain). "The Turks are preventing the withdrawal from the Ras al-Ain area, preventing the exit of our forces, the wounded and civilians," he told AFP on Saturday.
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