ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The Latest on developments in Syria (all times local):
4:50 a.m. Friday
The U.S. and Turkey have agreed to a cease-fire in the Turks' deadly attacks on Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, requiring the Kurds to vacate the area in an arrangement that largely solidifies Turkey's position and aims in the weeklong conflict.
The deal includes a conditional halt to American economic sanctions.
After negotiations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is hailing the five-day cease-fire as the way to end the bloodshed caused by Turkey's invasion.
Pence remains silent on whether the agreement amounts to a second abandonment of America's former Kurdish allies in the fight against the Islamic State group.
__
1:30 a.m.
Republican Sen. Mitt Romney says President Donald Trump's decision to abandon Kurdish allies in Syria "will stand as a bloodstain in the annals of American history."
The Utah senator took to the Senate floor Thursday to criticize Trump anew over his withdrawal of U.S. troops from northern Syria.
That pullback resulted in Turkey's invasion of the area so it could attack Syrian Kurds, a pivotal U.S. ally against Islamic State fighters.
Romney says removing U.S. troops who protected the Kurds "violates one of our most sacred duties. It strikes at American honor."
Romney says he hopes a five-day cease-fire announced Thursday works. But he says a deal with Turkey should have been struck before the U.S. pulled its troops out, not afterward.