UT: US says no new Turkey-US "deal" over clearing of Manbij from YPG forces

The U.S. State Department has said there was no new deal with Turkey over the clearing of Syria’s Manbij from the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Unit (YPG), the military wing of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), which is one of the sticking points in the already tense relationship between the two countries. It also noted that the YPG has already cleared the area.

“I’ve seen those reports,” U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner said during a daily press briefing on Nov. 3, referring to reports suggesting that the U.S. and Turkey agreed on clearing YPG forces from Manbij under U.S. and Turkey supervision.

“I don’t have anything to confirm them. It’s the first I’m hearing about any kind of effort, so I can’t confirm,” said Toner.

Turkey and the U.S. are at odds over the designation of the PYD and YPG. While Turkey regards them as terrorist organizations due to their ties to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the U.S. says the PYD and YPG are effective partners in their fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The U.S., on the other hand, regards the PKK as a terrorist organization.

Manbij is a key Syrian city close to the Turkish border that has been liberated from ISIL "militants".
 [hurriyetdailynews.com]
4/11/16
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