EU’s Tusk says Turkish halt of military operations ‘not a ceasefire’

European Union Council President Donald Tusk has said the halt of Turkish hostilities announced in northern Syria is not a genuine ceasefire and called on Ankara to immediately stop military operations in Syria, Reuters reports.

Ankara agreed on Thursday to pause its offensive in Syria for five days to let Kurdish forces withdraw from a “safe zone” Turkey had sought to capture.

“The so-called ceasefire is not what we expected. In fact, it’s not a ceasefire, it’s a demand of capitulation of the Kurds,” Tusk said in Brussels on Friday.

“We have to reiterate our call to Turkey to put a permanent end to its military action immediately and withdraw its forces and respect the international humanitarian law,” Tusk said.