World Erdogan sees no issues in Kobani after Syrian deployment, welcomes U.S. withdrawal

In this photo taken from the Turkish side of the border between Turkey and Syria, in Ceylanpinar, Sanliurfa province, southeastern Turkey, smoke billows from fires on targets in Ras al-Ayn, Syria, caused by bombardment by Turkish forces, on Oct. 13.

People carry a man after a mortar fired from inside Syria hit a building in Akcakale, Turkey, at the border with Syria, on Oct. 13.

The Latest: Trump credits 'tough love' for cease-fire deal

President Donald Trump is crediting his threat of sanctions on Turkey as "tough love" that led the country to agree to a five-day cease-fire in its battle with Kurds in northern Syria. 9:30 p.m.

A police forensic officer collects evidence from a building damaged by a mortar fired from inside Syria, in Akcakale, on Oct. 13.

Members of Turkish communities stage a demonstration in support of Turkey's ongoing Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria, in front of the White House in Washington, on Oct. 13.

A photo taken from Turkey's Sanliurfa shows a flag of Syrian National Army being waved near the customs gate, located at Turkish border of the Tal Abyad town, after it was cleared of PKK terror group and the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, which Turkey regards as a terror group, in Turkey's Operation Peace Spring, on Oct. 13.

Turkey Agrees to Pause Fighting, but Not to Withdraw Forces From Northern Syria

Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday said Turkey had agreed to suspend its military operations in northeast Syria for five days while Syrian Kurdish fighters left the area, immediately raising questions about whether the agreement was a diplomatic breakthrough or a capitulation to the Turkish government. ANKARA, Turkey — Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday said Turkey had agreed to suspend its military operations in northeast Syria for five days while Syrian Kurdish fighters left the area, immediately raising questions about whether the agreement was a diplomatic breakthrough or a capitulation to the Turkish government.

Protestors hold a demonstration to stop the Turkish Invasion of Rojava they assemble at Broadcasting House, Portland Place before marching to Parliament Square, on Oct. 13 in London.

Plainclothes police officers detain a pro-Kurdish demonstrator during a protest against Turkey's military action in northeastern Syria, in Istanbul, Turkey, on Oct. 13.

Swiss police stand guard as Kurds living in Switzerland protest against the Turkish Military action in Northern Syria, during a demonstration on Oct. 13, at the Zurich international airport.

A journalist looks out of an hole on a house that was damaged by a mortar fired from inside Syria, on the Turkish town of Akcakale, southeaster, Turkey, on Oct. 12.

Members of The American Rojava Center for Democracy, an organization that advocates for freedom, democracy, and peace in Syria, take part with other activists in a rally to protest Turkey's incursion into Kurdish-controlled northeast Syria and urge U.S. action against Turkey, outside the White House in Washington on Oct. 12.

A woman with a flag of Kurdistan painted on her face attends a demonstration against Turkey's military action in northeastern Syria, in Strasbourg, France on Oct. 12.

People gathered in Warsaw, Poland, on Oct. 12 in support of the Kurds and against the Turkish offensive in Syria.

Relatives of Ahmet Topcu, a Turkish soldier who was killed during the military operation against northeast Syria, mourn during a funeral ceremony in Ankara, on Oct. 12.

Smoke rises over the Syrian town of Ras al-Ain, as seen from the Turkish border town of Ceylanpinar on Oct. 12, in Ceylanpinar, Turkey.

Turkish-backed Syrian rebels and Turkish soldiers watch as smoke billows from the border town of Ras al-Ain on Oct. 12, as Turkey and its allies continued their assault on Kurdish-held border towns in northeastern Syria.

Turkish military vehicles carrying tanks head to the Syrian border as farmers work in a cotton field on Oct. 12, in Akcakale, Turkey.

A U.S. military vehicle patrols a road near the town of Tal Baydar in the countryside of Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province on Oct. 12.

Relatives of Halil Yagmur, 64, who was killed Friday during mortar shelling from Syria, mourn over his grave at the cemetery in the town of Suruc, southeastern Turkey, at the border with Syria, on Oct. 12.

A displaced Syrian woman, who fled her home in the border town of Ras al-Ain, receives humanitarian aid on Oct. 12, in the town of Tal Tamr in the countryside of Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province.

Representatives of the League of Arab states attend an emergency meeting at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo on Oct. 12, to discuss Turkey's offensive on Syria.

Displaced Syrians sit in the back of a pickup truck as Arab and Kurdish civilians flee amid Turkey's military assault on Kurdish-controlled areas in northeastern Syria, on Oct. 11, in the town of Tal Tamr.

People look on as smoke rises from the Syrian town of Ras al-Ain, in a picture taken from the Turkish side of the border in Ceylanpinar on Oct. 11.

A photo taken from Turkey's Sanliurfa province, on Oct. 9, shows smoke rising at the site of Ras al-Ay, Syria as Turkish troops, along with the Syrian National Army, begin their offensive.

Trump Said to Favor Leaving a Few Hundred Troops in Eastern Syria

President Trump is leaning in favor of a new Pentagon plan to keep a small contingent of American troops in eastern Syria, perhaps numbering about 200, to combat the Islamic State and block the advance of Syrian government and Russian forces into the region’s coveted oil fields, a senior administration official said on Sunday. If Mr. Trump approves the proposal to leave a couple of hundred Special Operations forces in eastern Syria, it would mark the second time in 10 months that he has reversed his order to pull out nearly all American troops from the country. Last December, Mr.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin takes a question from a reporter after announcing the threat of sanctions on Turkey in the Briefing Room of the White House on Oct. 11 in Washington. The White House is putting Turkey on notice that it could face new "powerful sanctions" and the US. will "shut down the Turkish economy" if Ankara goes too far in its incursion against the Kurds in northern Syria.

Turkish military vehicles drive to cross into Syria in the Turkish border town of Ceylanpinar on Oct. 11 in Sanliurfa province, Turkey.

This photo by Hawar news, the news agency for the semi-autonomous Kurdish areas in Syria (ANHA), shows flames rising from burned cars at the site of an explosion in the central Qamishli city in northeastern Syria, on Oct. 11.

Relatives of the 9-month-old baby boy Mohammed Omar Saar who was killed during a mortar and rocket assault from Syria, mourn at a funeral ceremony in the border town of Akcakale in Sanliurfa province, Turkey, on Oct. 11.

A drone photo shows that people attend funeral ceremony of Cihan Gunes, a revenue assistant specialist, who was martyred as rockets and mortar shells fired by YPG/PKK terrorists targeting Akcakale district of Sanliurfa on Thursday, in Manisa, Turkey on Oct. 11.

Turkish police officers stand guard during the funeral ceremony of the 9-month-old baby boy Mohammed Omar Saar who was killed during a mortar and rocket assault from Syria, in the border town of Akcakale in Sanliurfa province, Turkey, on Oct. 11.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (R) and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (L) shake hands at a joint press conference after their meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, on Oct. 11.

Youths drive past shops, closed by owners for fear of incoming shelling from Syria, in Akcakale, Sanliurfa province, Turkey, at the border with Syria, on Oct. 11.

People gather at the site of an explosion in the northeastern Syrian Kurdish city of Qamishli on Oct. 11.

Kurdish families flee their home towns Ras al-Ein due to the Turkish offensive in northern Syria, on Oct. 10.

Kurds protest the Turkish offensive against Syria during a demonstration in Sulaimaniyah, Iraq, on Oct. 10.

Women run out of their home after a rocket fired from Syria landed in their neighborhood in the Turkish border town of Akcakale in Sanliurfa province, Turkey, on Oct. 10.

People leave the building after the Education Ministry's local office hit by mortar shells fired from Syria, in the Turkish border town of Akcakale, Sanliurfa province, Turkey, on Oct. 10.

Kurds protest the Turkish offensive against Syria during a demonstration on Oct. 10 in Sulaimaniyah, Iraq.

General view of fire burning and smoke billowing out in distance in border town Tel Abyad in Syria seen from Akcakale, Turkey on Oct. 10.

Kurds living in Cyprus take part in a demonstration against Turkey's military action in northeastern Syria, outside the American Embassy in Nicosia, Cyprus, on Oct. 10.

Members of the Syrian National Army wave as they cross into Syria in the Turkish border town of Akcakale on Oct. 10.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to his ruling party officials, in Ankara, Turkey, on Oct. 10. 

People sit on belongings at a back of a truck as they flee Ras al Ain, Syria, on Oct. 9.

Members of the Syrian National Army perform a prayer before entering the territory east of the Euphrates River in northern Syria.

A Kurd living in Greece shouts slogans during a demonstration in Athens, Greece, on Oct. 9.

Syrian Arab and Kurdish civilians arrive to Tall Tamr after fleeing Turkish bombardment on the northeastern towns along the border on Oct. 10.

Putin and Erdogan Announce Plan for Northeast Syria, Bolstering Russian Influence

His jets patrol Syrian skies. His military is expanding operations at the main naval base in Syria. He is forging closer ties to Turkey. He and his Syrian allies are moving into territory vacated by the United States. And on Tuesday, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia played host to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey for more than six hours of talks on how they and other regional players will divide control of Syria, devastated by eight years of civil war.The negotiations cemented Mr. Putin’s strategic advantage: Russian and Turkish troops will take joint control over a vast swath of formerly Kurdish-held territory in northern Syria.

A man waves a Turkish flag on Oct. 10.

Turkey's Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, center, listens with the Turkish army's top commanders in an operation room at the army headquarters, in Ankara, Turkey, on Oct. 9. 

Civilians flee amid Turkish bombardment on Oct. 9.

A convoy of Turkish forces trucks drives through Akcakale, Turkey, on Oct. 9.

Turkish Army's fighter jet takes off from 8th Main Jet Base in Diyarbakir, Turkey on Oct. 9.

Turkish-backed Syrian rebel fighters head to an area near the Syrian-Turkish border north of Aleppo on Oct. 8.

Turkish-backed Syrian rebel fighters head to an area near the Syrian-Turkish border north of Aleppo on Oct. 8.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a press conference in Ankara, Turkey on Oct. 7. He said that his army was ready to launch operations against Kurdish militants in Syria at any moment following the US announcement that it would not stand in the way.

Syrian Kurds gather around a US armored vehicle during a demonstration near the Turkish border on Oct. 6. 

U.S. and Turkish military forces conduct a joint ground patrol in northeast Syria on Oct. 4.

President Donald Trump shows a map of Syria and Iraq showing the presence of the Islamic State (IS) in 2017 and 2019, as he speaks to reporters before leaving the White House in Washington, on March 20, for a trip to visit a Army tank plant in Lima, Ohio.