Turkey, US conduct 29th round of patrols in Syria’s Manbij

ANKARA

Turkish and U.S. troops on Aug. 13 completed their 29th round of patrols in the northern Syrian city of Manbij as part of a deal to oust the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) from the area.

In a statement, the Turkish General Staff said the forces of both countries conducted separate coordinated patrols. 

The first patrols by Turkish and U.S. troops in the region began on June 18.

Turkey sees the YPG as an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the European Union.

The Manbij deal between Turkey and the U.S. focuses on the withdrawal of the YPG in order to curb PKK presence and stabilize the region.

Should the Manbij model prove successful, Turkey will push for a similar arrangement in eastern Syria, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Aug. 13.