No ceasefire agreement between Turkey and the US-backed SDF in northern Syria, a Turkish official tells Reuters

ANKARA (Reuters) – Contrary to a U.S. announcement on the issue, there is no ceasefire agreement between Turkey and the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Syria, a Turkish Defense Ministry official said on Thursday.

Turkey expects the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) forces to “liberate” areas occupied by the Kurdish PKK/YPG militia in northern Syria, the official also said.

The SDF is an ally of the US coalition against Islamic State militants. It is led by the YPG, a group that Ankara sees as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), whose militants have been fighting the Turkish state for 40 years.