Time to rid Manbij, Syria of terrorists: Turkish FM

By Sena Guler

ANKARA (AA) – Now is the time to completely clear Manbij, northern Syria of YPG terrorists, and leave the city to civilians, Turkey’s foreign minister said on Tuesday.

“There is a slight delay in the schedule, but the separate coordinated [Turkish and U.S.] patrols in the Manbij region conducted up to now were important,” Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in Geneva, Switzerland, after a meeting on “Strategic Dialogue in the Western Balkans” at the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Cavusoglu referred to the patrols conducted by Turkish and U.S. troops in Manbij as part of a deal to rid the region of the terrorist group YPG/PKK.

He also emphasized the deal should be implemented fully by the U.S., adding that despite delays caused by the U.S. side, the deal is still working.

In June, Turkish and U.S. forces began patrols in Manbij under the deal focusing on the withdrawal of the PKK-affiliated YPG terror group from the city in order to stabilize the region.