US Vice-President Mike Pence has said that Turkey has agreed to stop its military campaign in northern Syria so that the Kurdish-led forces can retreat.

The announcement comes after a meeting between Pence and Turkish President Rechep Tayyip Ardoan in Ankara.

All military operations have been halted for the next 5 days and the US will help the Kurdish forces to "withdraw systematically". The US is removing Kurdish forces from the border area where Turkey wants to create a 'safe zone'.

Turkey started this campaign last week.

The aim is to push back the Kurdish forces from the border, creating a 'safe zone' for Syrian refugees.

Prior to Pence's announcement, the US president thanked Ardoan and tweeted that "millions of lives will be saved."

Pence thanked Donald Trump's 'strong leadership' during his announcement. "He wanted a ceasefire. He wanted to stop the violence," he said.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevluot Chavusholu told journalists that the Turkish attack would be permanently halted if the SDF moves out of the border zone.

He said, "We are postponing the operation, not ending it. We will end the operation only when the Kurdish fighters do not completely withdraw from the area."

US Vice President Mike Pence said that when Turkey will end military operations. Then the economic restrictions will be lifted and no more restrictions will be imposed on it.

No representatives of the SDF were present at this meeting between the US and Turkey.

Earlier, the BBC had come to know that Turkish President Rechep Tayyip Ardoan had 'dumped' US President Donald Trump's letter in the trash.

In a letter written on October 9, after Trump withdrew his army from Syria, Trump told Ardoan, "Don't be a very tough person. Don't be stupid."

President Trump was demanding from Turkey not to use military force against the Kurdish forces in northern Syria, but Ardoan ignored this demand.

Currently, US Vice President Mike Pence is in Ankara and is trying a ceasefire.

The US has been criticized for withdrawing troops from northern Syria. Critics are saying that it gave Turkey the green signal to launch a military offensive.

The Syrian Democracy forces (SDF), led by the Kurdish forces in the fight against the Islamic State in Syria, have been American allies.

However, there is also fear that this instability may lead to the rise of jihadist groups back in northern Syria.

The SDF is dominated by the People's Protection Units (YPG), a force of Kurdish fighters. Turkey considers them terrorists. Turkey believes that it is an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been fighting for an autonomous kingdom of Kurds in its region.

Trump wrote to President Ardoan, "Let's work on a good deal. You don't want to be responsible for the murder of thousands of people, and I also don't want to be responsible for destroying Turkey's economy. And I will."

"If you do it right and in a human way, you will be praised in history. If such a good thing does not happen, you will always be seen as a devil."

Sources in the President of Turkey told BBC Turkey, "President Ardoan received this letter which he dismissed and threw it in the trash."

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