U.S. Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis
The U.S. defense secretary said Turkey was a front-line state for NATO and its legitimate interests needed to be addressed, referring to recent talks between both countries regarding Syria's northern Manbij.
Speaking to reporters during his flight to Brussels, Jim Mattis said talks had taken place between U.S. secretary of state and the Turkish minister of foreign affairs in Washington D.C.
The Manbij roadmap was announced after a meeting in Washington on Monday between Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
The deal focuses on the withdrawal of the PKK-affiliated YPG terror group from the northern Syrian city and on stability in the region.
The tomb of Süleyman Shah is set to return to its original resting place following the withdrawal of terrorists from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)’s Syria affiliate, the YPG, as part of the agreement reached between Turkey and the U.S. in Washington regarding the PKK-occupied city of Manbij.In 2015, the Turkish military relocated the tomb of Süleyman Shah, the grandfather of the Ottoman Empire’s founder, from Syria’s Qara Qozaq region in Manbij to the Ashme village of Aleppo, which is located near Turkey’s border, to protect it from the threats posed by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Daesh terror groups.According to the framework of the Manbij agreement, 11 observation points will be established in the region, six of which are to be manned by the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF), while the remaining five will be overseen by the U.S. army. A strategic police force that is set to be formed in the city will put an end to the brutal occupation of Manbij and pave the way for services such as education, health and judiciary to be established again. All remnants of the PKK occupation of the city are also set to be removed and, according to reports, a new council will be founded and be made up of Arabs and Turkmens. All officials who assumed duties in Manbij during the PKK-occupation will be discharged.After the regions of Horoz, Abu Galgal, Suleim, Tishreen, Sirrin and Qaraqozaq are cleared of terrorist elements, the tomb of Süleyman Shah will be moved back to its former location. So-called senior members of the PKK from across Syria gathered yesterday in Tishreen and met with American officials to discuss the new phase, and according to reports, a collapse in morale was evident among them.Turkey’s cross-border operations to continue as necessary, says Deputy PMNATO chief welcomes Turkey-US roadmap on Manbij, SyriaA new “name game”Speaking to Yeni Şafak daily, Syria Turkmen Council head Wajeeh Jumaa pointed that several members of the military and local council founded by the PKK in Manbij were senior members of the terror organization. “Members of the organization, such as Jameel Mazlum and Sherwan Darwish, among other high-ranking PKK terrorists, who assumed duties in the Manbij council, were brought from numerous regions such as Qamishli and Ayn al-Arab. In the upcoming phase, these figures along with organizations linked to the PKK will be cleared out.”After the PKK announced it was withdrawing from Manbij following Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu’s summit on Tuesday in Washington, the terror group declared that it would hand over power to the Manbij council, which was formed by the PKK in 2016, pointed Jumaa, noting that it was an obvious ploy and a delay tactic.US deploys Daesh terorrists in Syria “Members of the pirate council that was mentioned by the terror group’s statement is made up completely by PKK affiliates. The PKK’s goal is again simply to remain in Manbij under U.S. protection through rebranding,” Jumaa concluded.The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union and the United States. The PKK has been conducting armed violence in the southeastern part of Turkey since 1984. More than 40,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the three-decade long conflict.Manbij roadmap must include regions east of Euphrates in SyriaUS presence in Manbij 'subject to political discussion'Erdoğan vows to eradicate terrorism 'completely'
Süleyman Shah tomb to return to Manbij after PKK withdrawal
"We are working out, how do we take -- again, Turkey, a NATO ally -- how do we take Turkey's legitimate security interests and enhance their security? They are the only NATO nation with an active insurgency inside its borders," said Mattis, according to a transcript made available by the Department of Defense.
"They're the front-line state for NATO [...] -- on the front line of this disaster that [Bashar al-]Assad has visited upon his people in Syria, with the Iranians' help, the Russians' help. And we have got to find a way to work Turkey's legitimate interests," he stressed.
Mattis said the SDF were the only organization at the time able to thwart and defeat Daesh in "very, very tough fighting".
"And we will not simply cast that organization aside, because it is critical to stopping -- to defeating the ISIS [Daesh] caliphate now, which we've still not defeated. It is critical to destroying the physical caliphate that -- the operations that are going right now. And it's critical to preventing the rise of ISIS 2.0."
The head of NATO on Wednesday said he welcomed a Turkish-U.S. agreement on a roadmap for Manbij, Syria.Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's comment came during a press conference ahead of a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels.The roadmap on Manbij was announced on Monday in Washington after a meeting between Cavusoglu and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.The deal focuses on the withdrawal of the PKK-affiliated YPG terror group from the northern Syrian city and stability in the region.Manbij roadmap must include regions east of Euphrates in SyriaJoint roadmap for Manbij is for stabilization: USUS presence in Manbij 'subject to political discussion'
NATO chief welcomes Turkey-US roadmap on Manbij, Syria
'Complex battle space'
Mattis added it was the "most complex battle space" he had ever seen.
"We are working with Turkey for how we work this issue, and we will continue to work it forward," he said.
"There's no doubt that we are working with Turkey to try and address their concerns -- at the same time, defeat ISIS. And it's a very difficult job, I'll be the first to admit. But we're doing it. We're working it, and we're ranking it with Turkey, not against Turkey," Mattis added.
As terrorists from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)’s Syrian affiliate, the YPG, begin withdrawing from the northern city of Manbij, the details of the roadmap brokered between Turkey and the U.S. continue to unfold. According to military sources, the agreement must be extended to include regions east of the Euphrates River, such as Horozköy, the Karakozak bridge area of Sirrin and the Tishreen Dam, a crucial source of water and electricity, all of which must be placed under Turkey’s control. In order to ensure security in Manbij and the Euphrates Shield region, the safe zone is expected to encapsulate the city’s geographical borders.Weapons that were supplied to terrorists from the PKK/YPG will be taken back as they withdraw from the city within the scope of the Manbij roadmap agreement between the U.S. and Turkey, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Tuesday.Erdoğan vows to eradicate terrorism 'completely'Invaders to be withdrawnAccording to the approved roadmap, all attempts by the PKK/PYD to alter the demographic make-up in the city will be foiled. In the context of the agreement reached between the U.S. and Turkey, families that were brought to Manbij will return to their own regions following the withdrawal of the PKK from the city. The status quo in Manbij, which was predominantly Arab, is set to return to what it was prior to the arrival of PKK terrorists in the city, thanks to a Turkey- U.S. agreement similar to the one that was previously brokered between Turkey, Iran and Russia to ensure security in the northwestern city of Idlib. Observation points will also be established in Manbij and its vicinity as part of the approved roadmap, which includes the withdrawal of 3rd parties, in addition to PKK terrorists, including French soldiers that are also present in the city. With the establishment of observation points, security will be ensured together with the local administration and the to-be-formed police force. While Turkey will never accept the presence of PKK or any similar groups in Manbij, the U.S. does not look too kindly on the Free Syrian Army (FSA) either. The U.S. wants to form a police force in Manbij that is formed of Arabs within the ranks of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is a front for the PKK, however, Turkey wants to make sure that the to-be-established force will be completely made up of local elements.The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union and the United States. The PKK has been conducting armed violence in the southeastern part of Turkey since 1984. More than 40,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the three-decade long conflict.Joint roadmap for Manbij is for stabilization: USUS presence in Manbij 'subject to political discussion'
Manbij roadmap must include regions east of Euphrates in Syria
Turkey has long criticized the U.S. for supporting the YPG/PKK terror group under the name of SDF, which is considered by Ankara as the Syrian offshoot of PKK.
PKK has waged a more than 30-year terror campaign against the Turkish state that has resulted in some 40,000 deaths.
Washington views the SDF as a "reliable partner" in its fight against Daesh and continues to provide it with arms and equipment in the face of strong objections by Turkey.
Senior officials from the U.S. State Department on Tuesday said the aim of a roadmap drawn up by Ankara and Washington is to stabilize the Syrian city of Manbij. The officials gave details via a teleconference call to reporters in Washington of the meeting between Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his American counterpart Mike Pompeo held on Monday.Avoiding a clear response on the specifics of the roadmap timeframe, the officials noted it would proceed step by step and hoped that necessary steps would be taken as soon as possible as the NATO ally Turkey also desires it.Emphasizing that the purpose of the roadmap is to clear Manbij from the terrorists and to ensure the security and stability of the city, Cavusoglu on Monday said the roadmap would be implemented in three stages, which would focus on the removal of YPG/PKK forces from Manbij, the removal of YPG/PKK affiliated individuals from local governing organizations, and the establishment of joint U.S.-Turkish patrols and a new local governing administration based on the local population.Following a visit by former U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to Ankara in February, Turkey and the U.S. established a mechanism to address separate issues in working groups, including the stabilization of Manbij and to prevent any undesirable clashes.The first meeting of the working group on Syria was held on March 8-9 in Washington.Officials during the conference call also said the YPG/PKK would withdraw to the eastern side of the Euphrates river.About the outcome of the PKK-affiliated YPG withdrawing from Manbij, officials said everyone would benefit from this process because the goal is to defuse tension and stabilize the region.US presence in Manbij 'subject to political discussion'"The idea behind this is not for the U.S. or Turkey to take over Manbij," they added. "The idea is for the people of Manbij to reassert their leadership over both governance and security structures there."In addition, officials also said the purpose of the deal is to not hand over the city to Turkey or the U.S., it is for the local people to be able to establish their own leadership and ensure their security.It is important that much of the Manbij Military Council is made up of local Arabs and it will remain as it is and cooperate with Turks so that Turks will be more comfortable in the process of making long-term adjustments, the officials added.If the Manbij issue was resolved, it would address part of a major issue dividing Ankara and Washington. Turkey has long objected to U.S. support for the terrorist PYD/PKK, the target of Turkey’s recent Operation Olive Branch in Afrin, Syria.The YPG/PKK and PYD/PKK are Syrian offshoots of the PKK terror group, which has taken some 40,000 lives in its 30-year terrorist campaign against the Turkish state, including those of women and children.
Joint roadmap for Manbij is for stabilization: US