US denies deal with Turkey on Kurdish militia withdrawal

State media had said Ankara, Washington had reached technical deal

The US State Department yesterday denied media reports that a deal had been reached between the United States and Turkey on a threestep plan for withdrawing the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia from Syria’s Manbij.

“We don’t have any agreements yet with the government of Turkey,” department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement in Washington.

“We’re continuing to have ongoing conversations regarding Syria and other issues of mutual concern,” she said, adding that American and Turkish officials had met in Ankara last week for talks on the issue.

Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency said yesterday Ankara and Washington had reached a technical agreement on the withdrawal plan, a move Turkey has long sought from the United States.

The report comes as differences over Syria policy and Washington’s decision in December to move its embassy in Israel to occupied Jerusalem have strained ties between the Nato allies.

Turkey is outraged by US support for the YPG militia, considering them a terrorist organisation. Ankara has threatened to push its offensive in northern Syria’s Afrin region further east to Manbij.

Manbij is a potential flashpoint. The Syrian regime, Kurdish militants, Syrian rebel groups, Turkey, and the United States all have a military presence in northern Syria.

Under the terms of the plan to be finalised during a visit by Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to Washington on June 4, the YPG will withdraw from Manbij 30 days after the deal is signed, Anadolu said, quoting sources who attended meetings at which the decisions were made.

Turkish and US military forces will start joint supervision in Manbij 45 days after the agreement is signed and a local administration will be formed 60 days after June 4, Anadolu said.

Earlier yesterday, Cavusoglu told broadcaster A Haber that a timetable for the Manbij plans could be set during talks with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington, and that it could be implemented before the end of the summer.

Cavusoglu was also quoted by media on his return flight from Germany saying that, if finalised, the plan for Manbij could be applied throughout northern Syria.

However, a local Manbij official later told Reuters that Cavusoglu’s assertions were “premature” and lacked credibility.

We don’t have any agreements yet with the government of Turkey. We’re continuing to have ongoing conversations regarding Syria and other issues of mutual concern.”

Heather Nauert | US State Department