Turkey on Sunday said People's Protection Units (YPG) terrorists were withdrawing from the border town of Ras al-Ayn under an agreement brokered with the United States.
"A convoy of approximately 55 vehicles entered Ras al-Ayn and a convoy of 86 vehicles departed in the direction of Tal Tamr," the Turkish defense ministry said in a statement and distributed pictures of the evacuation.
Anadolu Agency reporters said Sunday that Turkey is allowing YPG/PKK terrorists cornered in Ras al-Ayn to leave the area with ambulances and civilian vehicles.
In line with Turkey's agreement with the U.S. on Oct. 17, terrorists used the route opened by Turkish troops and left the city for Qamishli district of Hasakah city.
While the clock is ticking for Turkey's pause on its counter-terrorism operation in northern Syria, it is estimated that a total of 1,000 YPG/PKK terrorists are positioned in the area.
Terrorists claim Turkey hampers them from withdrawing from the city; however, according to a video footage obtained by Anadolu Agency, it is clear that Turkish security forces provide every kind of convenience for their withdrawal.
On Saturday, Turkish Ministry of National Defense said it "closely followed" developments in region under 120-hour pause agreement on its operation, which was hammered with the U.S.
"There are absolutely no impediments to withdrawal in this regard, and the information concerning the roads to be used safely was transmitted to the U.S. military authorities," the ministry had said.
Turkey had agreed to suspend its Operation Peace Spring for five days to allow the terrorist forces to withdraw from a safe zone along the border. Despite the agreement, there has been 22 attacks by the YPG forces in Syria.
Operation Peace Spring was launched on Oct. 9 in order to secure Turkey's borders, aid the safe return of Syrian refugees and ensure Syria's territorial integrity. The operation, conducted in line with the country's right to self-defense borne out of international law and U.N. Security Council resolutions, aims to establish a terror-free safe zone for Syrians return in the area east of the Euphrates River controlled by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is dominated by YPG terrorists.
The PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union — has waged a terror campaign against Turkey for more than 30 years, resulting in the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.