Erdogan warns US to quit Syria’s Manbij

ANKARA: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday warned the United States to withdraw any American forces from the Syrian town of Manbij, vowing Turkish troops would expand a cross-border military operation to the key strategic hub, reports AFP.

Erdogan blamed Washington for the presence in Manbij of fighters from the Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG) and its Democratic Union Party (PYD) political wing, which Ankara sees as terror groups. Turkey on January 20 launched a major operation aimed at ousting YPG forces from their enclave of the northwestern town of Afrin. However moving east to Manbij—where unlike Afrin there is a US military presence—would mark a major escalation.

 

Erdogan warns US to quit Syrias Manbij

ANKARA: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday warned the United States to withdraw any American forces from the Syrian town of Manbij, vowing Turkish troops would expand a cross-border military operation to the key strategic hub, reports AFP. Erdogan blamed Washington for the presence in Manbij of fighters from the Peoples Protection Units (YPG) and its Democratic Union Party (PYD) political wing, which Ankara sees as terror groups. Turkey on January 20 launched a major operation aimed at ousting YPG forces from their enclave of the northwestern town of Afrin. However moving east to Manbijwhere unlike Afrin there is a US military presencewould mark a major escalation.