Turkish army conducts eighth round of patrol in Manbij

ANKARA - Anadolu Agency

The Turkish military completed its eighth round of patrols in the northern Syrian city of Manbij on July 2 as part of a deal with the United States.

In a message posted on its official Twitter account, the Turkish General Staff said both countries’ forces conducted separate coordinated patrols in the area between the area liberated by Turkey’s Operation Euphrates Shield and Manbij.

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

The Manbij deal, which was made between Turkey and the U.S., focuses on the withdrawal of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)-affiliated People’s Protection Units (YPG) from the northern Syrian city in order to stabilize the region.

Turkish and U.S. military officials agreed in June on the implementation of a roadmap for the withdrawal of the YPG from Manbij, in accordance with a political agreement between Ankara and Washington.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on June 27 that the Manbij Roadmap agreement about power-sharing in Manbij will be “part of the political resolution.”

“They [Turkey] will ultimately be part of a political resolution there and an important part. And we need to recognize that and do our best work alongside them,” Pompeo told a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on funding for the U.S. Department of State.