A FIVE day ceasefire between Turkish and Kurd forces is at risk of collapse after a spate of “provocative attacks”.
The truce had been brokered on Thursday to allow Kurdish forces to withdraw from combat to create a buffer zone along the Syrian/Turkey border.
The truce sets out a five-day pause to let militia pull out of the 20-mile deep border zone in northern Syria.
But Turkey's defence ministry said today there had been 14 "provocative attacks" on its forces in the past 36 hours.
And while it says it is respecting the ceasefire, it is prepared to ditch it and attack the Kurdish forces — who themselves claim they have been attacked since the truce.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said Turkey has failed to abide by the deal, refusing to lift the siege of Ras al-Ayn, a key border town.
Yet Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said: "We paused the operation for five days.
“In this time, the terrorists will withdraw from the safe zone, their weapons will be collected and position destroyed.
“If this doesn't happen, we will continue the operation.
"Our preparations are ready. With the necessary order, our soldiers are ready to go anywhere.”
The deal was also aimed at easing a crisis triggered by President Donald Trump's abrupt decision earlier this month to withdraw all 1,000 US troops from northern Syria.
That move was widely criticised in Washington and elsewhere as a betrayal of loyal Kurdish allies who had fought for years alongside US forces against ISIS.
Following the sudden withdrawal of American forces, Turkey moved in to crush the SDF.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan regards them a terrorist group because of its links to Kurdish insurgents operating in southeast Turkey.
Erdogan said today he would "crush the heads" of Kurdish militants in northern Syria if they did not withdraw
Yesterday Trump branded a deal for a ceasefire in Syria a "great day for civilisation" despite Turkey saying it was only ever meant to last five days.
He boasted: "A great day for the Kurds. It's really a great day for civilisation. It's a great day for civilisation."
And then he heaped praised on US Vice President Mike Pence and his team for striking the deal with Erdogan.
"They couldn't get it without a little rough love" before adding: "This is an incredible outcome."
He then called Erdogan a "hell of a leader" even though Turkey made it clear it sees the move as nothing more than a "pause".
During a rally in Texas, Trump told his supporters that he pulled US troops out of Syria because the Turks and the Kurds comparing the two sides to "kids in a lot" who needed "to fight."
He said: "It was unconventional what I did. I said 'they're going to have to fight a little while.'
"Like two kids in a lot, you have got to let them fight and then you pull them apart.
"They fought for a few days and it was pretty vicious."
Earlier the US president trumpeted news of the peace deal on Twitter saying it would end the bloodshed.
"Great news out of Turkey…Millions of lives will be saved!" he wrote from aboard Air Force One.
In the days before the ceasefire, Turkey had been intensifying its assault on Kurdish-held city of Ras al-Ain.
Its forces have been repeatedly accused of using white phosphorus and napalm against women and children in civilian areas of the town.
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