Turkey accuses Kurdish militants of violating military operations suspension

ISTANBUL, Oct 20 (KUNA) -- Turkish Defense Ministry on Sunday accused the Kurdish militants of violating an agreement between Ankara and Washington to temporarily suspend the Turkish military operation in northeastern Syria and establish a safe area there.
In a statement, the ministry said that the People's Protection Units (YPG) and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants carried out 20 acts of provocation and violation in northern Syria despite the agreement between Turkey and the US.
The ministry pointed out that one soldier was killed and another wounded by gunmen during the Turkish forces reconnaissance in the area of Tal Abyad (east of the Euphrates) northeast of Syria.
The Turkish forces responded as necessary within the framework of legitimate self-defense, it added.
On October 9, Turkey, with the participation of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), launched Operation Peace Spring in the eastern Euphrates River in northern Syria to get rid of Kurdish militants and members of the so-called Islamic State (IS) and establishing a safe area for the return of Syrian refugees to their country.
Ankara and Washington reached an agreement last Thursday to suspend the military operation under which the safe area in northern Syria would be under the control of the Turkish army, lifting US sanctions on Ankara and the withdrawal of militants from the safe area. (end) ta.aa