Leave Syria's Manbij 'as soon as possible' – Erdogan tells YPG
Turkey and the US have been carrying out joint patrols in Manbij as part of a deal that should see the withdrawal of YPG militants from the city to stabilise the Syrian region.
Turkish President Erdogan says the country's goal is the exit of terror groups from Manbij "as soon as possible".
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday called on the PKK-affiliated PYD and its YPG militant wing to leave Syria's northwestern Manbij "as soon as possible."
In its more than 30-year armed campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of some 40,000 people, including both security personnel and civilians.
The YPG is its Syrian branch.
Exit of 'terror groups'
"Our goal is the exit of terror groups PYD/YPG from Manbij as soon as possible," Erdogan said at a joint news conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko in Istanbul.
The joint press conference comes after the 7th meeting of Ukraine –Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council.
Erdogan said he will also meet his US counterpart Donald Trump on the sidelines of an international meeting due to be held in Paris on November 10-11.
Today, Under Secretary David Hale met with #Turkey’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal at the State Department to discuss the U.S-Turkish bilateral relationship and regional affairs. They also discussed #Syria, joint patrols and Manbij. https://t.co/wD735Bxe1E pic.twitter.com/QFvP56lnlt
— Heather Nauert (@statedeptspox) November 3, 2018
On Friday, Turkey's National Defence Ministry shared footage of the first round of the joint patrols being held in Manbij between Turkish and US forces, conducted as part of deal between the two countries.
The Manbij deal between Turkey and the US focuses on the withdrawal of YPG militants from the city to stabilise the region, which is in the northeast of Syria's Aleppo province.
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