VP Pence arrives in Ankara to seek Syria ceasefire

US Vice President Mike Pence has arrived in Ankara for talks with President Tayyip Erdogan over Turkey's military offensive into northeastern Syria.
Pence is expected to urge Turkey to halt its offensive against Kurdish fighters in northeast Syria, a day after US President Donald Trump threatened heavy sanctions over the operation.

Heavy fighting continues as Turkey presses on with its military operation, now in its ninth day, against Kurdish fighters in northeast Syria.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the military action aims to remove the Kurdish-led forces from the border area and create a "safe zone" to which millions of Syrian refugees can be returned.

The move came after the United States announced it was withdrawing its troops from the area, leaving the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), its main ally in the battle against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) armed group, without US military support.

Russia says Syria should ultimately get control over border with Turkey

Syria should get control over its border with Turkey as part of any settlement of the conflict there, Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman has said, the Interfax news agency reported.

Turkey has launched a cross-border offensive in northeast Syria. 

Russia is a close ally of Damascus.

Surce