OREANDA-NEWS. There are 35 hours left until the ceasefire in Syria, Ankara is monitoring the departure of Syrian Kurds from the north of the country, said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. His words are conveyed by the Turkish media.

“35 hours left. If terrorist groups do not completely leave the zone, we will resume our operation”, Cavusoglu said. On October 9, Turkey launched the military operation “Source of Freedom” against the Kurdish “People’s Self-Defense Detachment” and the “Syrian Democratic Forces” in northeast Syria. Edogan justified his actions by the fight against terrorism, since Ankara considers the Kurdish groups terrorists.

Turkey's invasion of Syria was condemned in the United States, Europe and the League of Arab States. On October 15, US President Donald Trump imposed economic sanctions against Turkey. On October 17, Washington and Ankara agreed on a temporary armistice for 120 hours. During this time, Kurdish formations should move 32 km from the border with Turkey, after which Turkey will establish a security zone there. In exchange for the suspension, Washington promised to lift economic sanctions.

The next day, October 18, Western, Kurdish and Syrian media reported the resumption of shooting and fighting near the Turkish border. Turkish President Recep Erdogan denied reports of a ceasefire and called the shelling disinformation.