Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter called on Turkey to stay focused on fighting the Islamic State group and not to target Kurdish elements of Syrian rebel forces, which Washington backs.
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Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said the clashes were of “deep concern”, adding that they were not coordinated with USA forces, “and we do not support them”.
US President Barack Obama will meet his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday in China on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit, with Syria high on the agenda, top aide Ben Rhodes announced Monday.
“We will find them and punish them”, Erdogan said as Turkish tanks and elements of the Free Syrian Army, another militia group backed by the USA, reportedly moved south of Jarabulus and clashed with the YPG.
Turkish-backed forces advanced on Manbij, a city about 30 km (20 miles) south of Turkey’s border captured this month by the SDF with US help.
The Pentagon is calling on North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ally Turkey, as well USA -backed fighters aligned against the Islamic State, to stop fighting each other in northern Syria. Operations would continue until all threats, including from the YPG, were removed, he added.
In a series of strongly-worded Tweets this afternoon (29 August), the United States special envoy to the coalition Brett McGurk, quoting from a Defense Department (DOD) briefing, said: “DOD: Monitoring reports of airstrikes & clashes south of #Jarabuls b/w Turkish forces, some opposition groups, & units affiliated with #SDF”.
“The SDF have proven to be a reliable and capable force, and our support for the SDF in its fight against ISIL is ongoing and will continue to do so”, Cook said, using another acronym to refer to the Islamic State group.
Turkish-backed forces advanced on Manbij, a city about 30 km (20 miles) south of Turkey’s border captured this month by the SDF with US help.
Turkey, which is battling a Kurdish insurgency on its soil, has said its campaign has a dual goal of “cleansing” the region of ISIS and stopping Kurdish forces filling the void and extending the area they control near Turkey’s border.
At the start of Turkey’s now nearly week-long cross-border offensive, Turkish tanks, artillery and warplanes provided Syrian rebel allies with the firepower to capture swiftly the Syrian frontier town of Jarablus from ISIS militants.
In a nod to Turkey, Carter also praised Turkish military advances against Islamic State in the past week, notably its seizure of the town of Jarablus.
Rhodes said that while the USA supported Turkey’s efforts to clear IS fighters from Jarablus and secure its border, it would oppose Turkish efforts to move south and engage in activities against the SDF.
Obama’s meeting is the latest in a string of high-level U.S. officials’ outreach to Turkish leaders. “They have fought hard and sacrificed to try and rid Syria of this hateful group”.
Kurdish-backed forces in northern Syria say they will withdraw south from their current positions in order not to put the lives of civilians in danger, following attacks by Turkey-backed Syrian rebels.
The move is not likely to please the Turks who are demanding a full withdrawal from all areas west of the Euphrates.
Turkish soldiers stand on tanks as they prepare for a military operation at the Syrian border town of Karkamis in the southern region of Gaziantep, on August 25, 2016 in Jarablus, Turkey.
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Turkey’s state-run news agency says three rockets fired from Syria have hit a Turkish border town, wounding five children between 8 years and 12 years of age.
