Meanwhile, Trudeau reiterated that Kurdish leadership within the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has made a commitment to USA that local fighters – Syrian Arabs – would retake control of cities in northern Syria once they are liberated from Daesh.
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Turkey has launched a new operation inside Syria.
“The U.S.is interested in stopping this from becoming a confrontation between the YPG and Turkey”.
Ankara is furious with Washington for their backing for Syrian Kurdish fighters, who have been instrumental in the defeat of ISIS in large parts of the region.
Turkey has been deeply concerned by the advances of the Kurdish forces, fearing they aim to set up a Kurdish entity there.
US officials have never indicated that Gulen might be extradited for actions he carried out before the coup.
Addressing the Syrian conflict, Yıldırım said the United States should reconsider its support for the YPG terrorist group while Biden added that Washington specifically told the group not to go west of the Euphrates River. The news was relayed by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in a telephone conversation with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government regulations.
Biden said Washington has made it clear to Syrian Kurdish forces that they must return east of the Euphrates river, after they seized control of the Syrian town of Manbij, if they wish to retain USA support.
Instead, the main Syrian Kurdish faction, known as the YPG, said its troops have “returned to their bases” after helping liberate Manbij from the Islamic State group. Manbij lies west of the Eurphrates and Ankara has demanded the Kurds hand it over to Syrian rebels and withdraw. Explosions reverberated across the border, followed by billowing gray smoke.
The agency rejected notions the trip is an effort to resolve a “dispute” between Ankara and Washington, Anadolu Agency reported.
Turkey’s defense minister, Fikri Isik, said Thursday that Turkish forces were securing the area around Jarablus.
Turkish units began their assault on ISIS and Kurdish militia forces at 4 AM local time, backed by tanks and supported by intensive artillery bombardments and airstrikes, including air support from the US-led coalition.
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Last week, after Syrian war planes bombed US-backed Kurdish forces in the northern Syrian town of Hasakeh and Washington threatened to respond by attacking the Syrian regime, Turkey launched artillery barrages against both ISIS and Kurdish fighters near Jarabulus.
