Ankara and Washington seek common ground over Syria policy as relations reach crisis point
ANKARA: Turkey’s proposal on Friday of a joint deployment of forces in Manbij in Syria was being considered by the US as the NATO allies sought to rescue a rapidly deteriorating strategic relationship that Washington acknowledged had reached a “crisis point.”
The risk of a direct clash between Turkish and American troops during an imminent operation into the Kurdish-held province pushed both parties to make diplomatic compromises.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson paid a two-day visit to Ankara on Thursday and Friday, and met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu.
“It is not helpful to go back and discuss the point of crises of the past, there is a lot of work to be done. We will chart the way forward together. We are going to act together and move forward,” Tillerson said during a joint press conference with Cavusoglu on Friday.
The meetings between the two NATO allies revolved around the two countries’ diverging policies in Syria — particularly about the US’ longtime partnership with the People’s Protection Units (YPG).
YPG is seen by Ankara as the Syrian branch of the outlawed terror organization PKK — listed as a terror group by Washington and Brussels — that has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state for more than three decades.
On Monday the Pentagon demanded $300 million to train and equip the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a militant group dominated by the YPG.
But during the joint press conference with Cavusoglu, Tillerson announced that weapons provided to the SDF will be limited, missionspecific and only intended for military objectives — a move that aims to allay Ankara’s concerns that the terrorist group may move these weapons into Turkey.
“There is no daylight between Turkey and the US on Syria, we share same objectives. We are going to address Manbij first, we will continue to work on northern Syria,” Tillerson said.
Turkey’s current Afrin operation and the Manbij offensive are aimed at clearing the region of YPG militants. Ankara wants to be sure that the YPG withdraws to the east of Euphrates and leaves Manbij first.
“This is a US promise to Turkey,” Cavusoglu said during the joint press conference.
Based on a statement by a Turkish official, Reuters announced that Ankara proposed to Washington the withdrawal of the YPG to the east of Euphrates, while Turkish and US troops could be deployed together in Manbij. The proposal is reportedly being considered by the US side.
“This meeting proves the success of Turkey’s Afrin operation on the diplomatic front as well,” Sakir Dincsahin, a Middle East expert from Hasan Kalyoncu University in Gaziantep, told Arab News.
“Although the positions of both sides are very distant from each other, reaching a common ground is always possible when each side win a little and lose a little,” he said.
Under the Reuters’ scenario, Dincsahin said that the YPG would be forced to take a step back and would lose ground through the US position, despite the harsh rhetoric by Washington over recent days.
“Kurds may feel offended by such a decision if the Pentagon agrees on it,” he said.
Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, Ankara office director of the German Marshall Fund of the US, said: “Tillerson’s visit to Ankara and the statements made by Tillerson and Çavusoglu reflect the intention in both Washington and Ankara to prevent a breakdown of the relationship.”
Tillerson and Cavusoglu agreed to set up a working group and a joint mechanism to resolve issues. The first meeting is not expected to be held until the end of March.