US, Turkish army chiefs discuss Syria over phone

By Umar Farooq

WASHINGTON (AA) - U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff spoke over the phone with his Turkish counterpart about Manbij roadmap and the efforts to ensure Daesh is fully defeated, the Department of Defense said Friday.

Joseph Dunford spoke with Gen. Yasar Guler Wednesday, according to Col. Patrick S. Ryder, a spokesman for the Department of Defense.

The two leaders discussed the current security situation in Syria, and the U.S. emphasized it enjoys a strong military-to-military relationship with Turkey as "key members of the NATO alliance."

U.S. President Donald Trump announced in December that Washington would be withdrawing all troops from Syria, however the administration has since backpedaled and stated they will be keeping a small force in the region to maintain stability.

"They also addressed the completion of the Manbij roadmap and the importance of continued U.S.-Turkish cooperation on counterterrorism efforts to ensure the lasting defeat of ISIS," Ryder said in a statement, using another term for Daesh.

In line with the Manbij roadmap, Turkey and the U.S. are conducting joint investigations for the restructuring of civil and military councils in northern Syrian town of Manbij.

The Manbij deal between Turkey and the U.S. focuses on the withdrawal of YPG/PKK terrorists from the city to stabilize the region, which is located in the northern part of Syria’s Aleppo province.

Turkish authorities stressed that the administration in Manbij, of which 85-90 percent of population is Arabs, should be balanced in accordance with the demographic structure in the region.

*Kasim Ileri contributed to this report