US, Turkish army chiefs discuss Syria over phone

WASHINGTON- Anadolu Agency

This file photo shows Turkish Chief of General Staff Yaşar Güler and his United States counterpart Joseph Dunford at a meeting in Polish capital Warsaw on Sept. 30.

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 ISIL is fully defeated, the U.S. Department of Defense said on March 22.

Joseph Dunford spoke with General Yaşar Güler on March 21, 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 ISIL.

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 militants from the city to stabilize the region, which is located in the northern part of Syria's Aleppo province.     

PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU.