U.S. and Turkey to Withdraw Kurdish Militia from Manbij

The U.S. and Turkey have decided to withdraw Kurdish fighter from the city of Manbij in North Syria to ease the growing tension between the two NATO allies.

Both countries’ representatives had a meeting and released a statement. The plans are targeted to ensure “security and stability” in the city. The officials’ description of the plans and procedures have not been specific, and very few details have been released, although the officials confirmed that they called for a withdrawal of the Kurds in Manbij. It has been stated that, as the militia is withdrawn from the city, the commanders and political leaders will also have to leave, being replaced with local authorities. The soldiers will stay in Manbij for now, while the officials will be immediately dismissed.

The city has been a point of tension between Turkey and the U.S. since the former sent forces to control the Kurdish region of Afrin and proceeded towards Manbij. Turkey disapproved of the U.S.’ support towards the Kurdish militia since they considered them a terrorist group.

The Pentagon has regarded the militia as a valuable partner, especially in the context of the Syrian area. They are not on board with the decision of dropping their relations with the militia, since they consider the fight against the Islamic state to be of major importance. The Syrian Democratic Forces, who compose the Kurdish militia, are dedicated to that mission.

Reaching an agreement on this topic has been quite difficult since tensions between the U.S. and Turkey have gotten in the way of negotiations. Although Turkey has stated on multiple occasions that they had arrived to a deal with the U.S, even to the extent of involving former Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson in the claims, American officials have repeatedly denied this.

After Monday’s announcement, the Turkish General Directorate for Press and Information stated that the country would still create a base nearby Manbij to observe the forces. He stated: “The main thing is we do not want a terrorist presence just across our border. They are right across the border, on the tip of our noses. The deal is done. They will withdraw in coming days. This is the right way to go, for America to deal with Turkey in a peaceful way.”

These events will probably work in favor of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who recently moved his country’s elections and requested for them to be held over a year earlier. He had asked for this in order to avoid clashing with a probable economic shift for the currency. His campaign was set to highlight the economic achievements of his fifteen-year term as president. However, right after he announced the request, the Turkish lira dropped in value by 20%.

Featured Image via: Flickr/kurdishstruggle