Turkish, US officials agree to continue Manbij road map

TURKISH and U.S. officials held the third meeting of the Turkey-U.S. working group on Syria on Friday, where they agreed to continue the Manbij road map and underlined their commitment to Syria’s territorial integrity.

U.S. special representative for Syria James Jeffrey was representing Washington in the meeting to address the contending perspectives of the two countries regarding Syria.

“Both sides affirmed their commitment to Syria’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity and underscored the importance of sustained and irreversible progress on a political solution to the Syrian conflict consistent with UNSCR 2254,” a statement released by the Foreign Ministry said after the meeting.

In the meeting, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ankara, which lasted for nearly five hours, the process of the Manbij road map and Turkey’s concerns over the U.S.’ ongoing support to the PKK’s Syrian affiliate, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), were discussed. The Turkish delegation was represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Önal.

“They are committed to accelerated and concrete progress on the Manbij road map by the end of the year,” the statement underlined and said Turkey and the U.S. have “agreed to continue to work on joint planning with regard to other areas as mentioned in the Manbij road map.”

The parties will convene “the next HighLevel Working Group on Syria meeting in Washington no later than February 2019,” the statement also said.

The Foreign Ministry said later that the road map will be completed by the end of the year.

Following the meeting, Jeffrey was also received on Friday by National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar.

Akar reportedly conveyed Ankara’s message to Jeffrey over the YPG presence in northern Syria, saying a “terror corridor” will not be allowed. Akar was referring to the YPG’s aim of establishing an autonomous entity in northern Syria along the border with Turkey. The defense minister also discussed with the U.S. envoy Ankara’s concerns over Washington’s proposal to establish monitoring posts in YPG-held areas, close to Turkey’s borders, in northern Syria.

The main conflicting issue in TurkishU.S. ties is Washington’s steadfast support for the YPG terrorist group.

During the meeting, Turkish officials repeatedly conveyed Turkey’s disturbance regarding the U.S.’ partnership with the YPG to their counterparts. However, the U.S. appears unfazed in the face of Ankara’s highly vocal criticism. Instead of allaying the concerns of its NATO ally, the U.S. opts for partnering with the YPG using the fight against Daesh as an alibi.

Ankara considers the YPG a serious threat against its national security. While Turkey seeks to preserve the territorial integrity of Syria, a resolution to the conflict remains elusive due to the U.S.’ support of the YPG, which pursues a separatist agenda in the country.

In order to prevent the terror group from tightening its grip in northeast Syria and disrupting peace efforts in the region, Turkey aims to accelerate the Manbij process that was launched in June with the U.S. As part of the agreement Turkey and the U.S. agreed to work on the withdrawal of the YPG from Manbij, a YPG-held region in northern Syria. The aim of the Manbij deal is to ensure security and stability in the province by eliminating YPG terrorists and ultimately handing the administration of the province to a body consisting of local people. Yet, progress in the deal, Ankara says, has been “sluggish” and slower than initially planned, due to what has been described as the disingenuous attitude of the U.S. over the plan.

Commenting on the Manbij process, a diplomatic source told Daily Sabah previously that Turkish officials have been attempting to urge their counterparts in the U.S. to accelerate the process and increase the number of joint patrols in Manbij as part of the agreement.

In the latest move, the U.S. said that it is establishing observation posts in northeast Syria, which is held by the YPG. Ankara has been cautious about the U.S.’ step as the U.S. might be aiming to act as a buffer between Turkey and the YPG in order to protect the terrorist group and cover its ongoing illegitimate activities on Syrian soil. During the meeting with Jeffrey, Turkish officials were also expected to voice Ankara’s concerns regarding the issue.