The United States is delaying the withdrawal of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) from the Syrian city of Manbij, thus failing to implement the roadmap on the situation in the area, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Wednesday.
ANKARA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd October, 2018) The United States is delaying the withdrawal of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) from the Syrian city of Manbij, thus failing to implement the roadmap on the situation in the area, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Wednesday.
In June, Turkey and the United States struck a deal regarding Manbij, agreeing that the US-backed YPG would withdraw from the city and yield control over Manbij to the Turkish and US troops. Ankara has long sought this development since it considers the YPG to be affiliated to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is listed as a terrorist organization in Turkey.
"Unfortunately, the 90-day roadmap on Manbij is not being implemented as we see the tactics of delay. We want this game to be finally ended. We are discussing this issue with the partners but such a policy of delay is becoming a serious issue. The agreement on Manbij must be implemented as soon as possible. We expect the United States to put an end to the YPG in the region," Kalin said.
On Tuesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that it was high time to clear the region of Manbij from the YPG.
Turkey has been claiming that the YPG's presence near its border hampers its national security. Earlier this year, it conducted an offensive against the Kurdish militia in Syria's northern border city of Afrin. Ankara is also currently engaged in an operation to eliminate Kurdish strongholds in northern Iraq.
