No fixed timeframe for presence of Turkish forces in NE Syria – Moscow

There is no fixed timeframe for the presence of Turkish forces in northeast Syria, RIA Novosti reported, citing the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Moscow said Kurdish forces had begun withdrawing from areas near the Turkish border in Syria as part of an agreement struck between Moscow and Ankara on Tuesday.

The deal does not apply to the civilian Kurdish population, Russia Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin was quoted as saying.

Ankara’s incursion has deepened a sense of alienation among Turkey’s Kurds, which is also being fueled by a crackdown on the country’s main pro-Kurdish party, Reuters said. Kurds make up some 18 percent of Turkey’s 82 million people.