Special Presidential Envoy for Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh, Brett McGurk
The U.S. and Turkey have concluded a roadmap for the northern Syrian city of Manbij, a senior official from the Trump administration said Tuesday.
"We concluded a roadmap with Turkey, and our discussions with them have been fruitful and productive, and we look forward to those to continue," Brett McGurk, the special U.S. presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS [Daesh], said at the Political Director's Meeting of the Global Coalition To Defeat ISIS in Morocco.
"We are grateful for that cooperation," he added.
McGurk also praised the work the two countries have done to deescalate tensions, particularly around Manbij.
The roadmap was announced after a June 4 meeting in Washington between Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
The deal focuses on the withdrawal of the PKK-affiliated YPG terror group from Manbij and on stability in the region.
The Turkish General Staff said in a statement Sunday that the two countries' forces conducted patrols separately in the area between the Operation Euphrates Shield region in northern Syria and Manbij according to the roadmap.
U.S. President Donald Trump congratulated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday on his election victory and the two leaders agreed to improve bilateral defence and security ties, Erdoğan's office said.In their phone conversation, Trump and Erdoğan also emphasised the need to implement an existing plan in the northern Syrian city of Manbij, it said in a statement.Trump and Erdoğan will meet in Brussels for a NATO summit on July 11-12, the statement added.According to Turkey’s Supreme Election Council (YSK), on Sunday President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan won an absolute majority in the presidential election with 52.5 percent of the vote, while his closest rival was behind at 30.6 percent, with 99.9 percent of ballot boxes opened.In the parliamentary polls, the People's Alliance of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and Justice and Development (AK) Party won 53.6 percent of the votes, with 99.9 percent of ballot boxes opened.
Trump, Erdoğan agree to improve ties after Turkish leader's re-election
Turkish and the U.S. armed forces carried out the fifth round of patrols in the northern Syrian city of Manbij as part of a deal with the U.S. to rid the area of the YPG/PKK terror group.Both countries' forces conducted patrols separately in the area between the Operation Euphrates Shield region and Manbij.The first patrols by both Turkish and U.S. troops in the region began on June 18.The Manbij deal, which was made between Turkey and the U.S., focuses on the withdrawal of the PKK-affiliated YPG terror group from the northern Syrian city in order to stabilize the region.The agreement was first announced after a meeting in Washington earlier in June between Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.Should the model prove to be a success, Turkey will push for a similar arrangement in eastern Syria.In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK has taken some 40,000 lives, including those of women and children. The YPG/PKK is its Syrian branch.Turkey has said the presence of terror forces near its border constitute a threat and has launched military operations and other efforts to rid the region of terrorists.Arabs account for more than 90 percent of the local population in Manbij.
Turkish, US army conduct 5th round of patrols in Manbij
The first patrols by Turkish and U.S. troops in the region began June 18.
In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK has taken some 40,000 lives, including those of women and children. The YPG/PKK is its Syrian branch.
Turkey has said the presence of terror forces near its border constitute a threat and has launched military operations and other efforts to rid the region of terrorists.