© SputnikSyrian armed forces deployed along Manbij Border, Aleppo Province, December 30, 2018.
the Turkish Foreign Ministry's spokesman Hami Aksoy said Friday.
Aksoy told reporters:
"In no case can we facilitate provocations by the Syrian regime [Damascus] in Manbij, as well as attempts by members of the YPG to open the door to the regime's forces. Clearing the YPG out of Manbij is a matter of national security for us. The terrorist attack in Manbij once again showed the importance of clearing the region of terrorists and the need to implement the road map for Manbij."
His comments come after on Wednesday, about
two dozen people, including up to five US servicemen, were killed in Manbij in an explosion for which the Daesh terrorist group claimed responsibility.In December, the YPG announced its withdrawal from Manbij and called on Damascus to take control of the city to protect the area in the event Ankara launched a military operation against the Kurds.
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Former US Special Envoy for the Global Coalition to defeat the Daesh terror group Brett McGurk said that Turkey is not a reliable partner in Syria as the United States prepares to withdraw military forces from the country. Turkey cannot operate in Syria without substantial US military support, he added.
Discussions are underway to have the Turkish military or Turkish-backed opposition fighters moved into areas of northeastern Syria that are now controlled by the SDF. Any such move, he said, would spark chaos and create an environment for extremists to thrive. The entry of Turkish-backed opposition forces would also likely displace thousands of Kurds and threaten vulnerable Christian communities in areas of eastern Syria, he added.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan...had decided to postpone the start of the military operation in Syria after a phone conversation with Trump on December 14, during which the US president also revealed his plans to withdraw troops from Syria.
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