Turkish delegation to prepare report on YPG presence in Manbij

Sevil ERKUŞ - ANKARA

A delegation of Turkish and U.S. experts that traveled to Syria’s Manbij will prepare a report on the visit, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hüseyin Müftüoğlu said on Dec. 15.  

A military delegation from the Turkish Armed Forces and U.S. troops investigated the region last week to ensure the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) had withdrawn from Manbij, which became a problem between Ankara and Washington.

“We will continue to pursue this issue until we confirm from our own sources that members of the YPG withdrew from Manbij,” Müftüoğlu stated.

He also addressed a question on the possibility of a conflict that could arise if Turkey proceeded to Manbij. 
 “We do not think there will be any possibility of conflict. There should not be an environment that would make it possible because Turkey’s stance is clear. The fulfillment of our will also lifts the risk of a possible conflict,” Müftüoğlu said.

Turkish leaders have repeatedly urged the U.S. to keep its promise for the withdrawal of YPG fighters from Manbij to the east of the Euphrates River. Washington and the Democratic Union Party (PYD) have said at multiple times that the YPG forces had either left Manbij or would leave the city soon.