FILE IMAGE: AP Photo / Hussein Malla
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says that the US failed to comply with its responsibilities in the framework of the Turkish-US deal on the Syrian city of Manbij, the Hurriyet newspaper reported on September 28.
“The United States certainly did not comply with the agreed calendar of the Manbij roadmap; YPG did not exit the area. The real owners of the region are not settled in yet,” Erdogan told media following his recent visit to New York to attend the UN General Assembly, according to the newspapaer. “The United States did not keep their promise here.”
According to Erdogan, despite the formal declarations, the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG; considered a terrorist group by Ankara) remained in the area.
The Turkish president also pointed out that the US has boosted its military presence alongside with the “terrorist organization” in northern Syria.
As to a possible Turkish military operation against the YPG east of the Euphrates River, Erdogan stated that the operation is now not on the agenda. However, he noted that this does not mean that there will be no military operation in the future.
