The U.S. State Department spokesperson on Thursday said the U.S. has no intention to leave Manbij despite Turkey’s pledge to clear YPG/PKK terrorists from Manbij, in northern Syria.
"U.S. forces are located in Manbij. We have made it very clear with the Turkish government that we continue to operate there," Heather Nauert at a press conference said in a response to a question about the U.S.' stance on Manbij.
Nauert also said the talks with Ankara have not been concluded and Washington is willing to continue the conversations, referring to the three technical committees of Turkey and the U.S., formed to solve issues between the two countries.
However, U.S. military support for the terrorist PYD/PKK group in Manbij has strained ties between Ankara and Washington and has led to fears of potential clashes on the ground between troops of the two NATO allies, since there are roughly 2,000 U.S. troops in the city.
Turkey and the U.S. have established working groups to discuss the stabilization of Manbij and to prevent any undesirable clashes.
But due to the abrupt departure of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who helped establish the working groups, the future of Manbij remains unknown.
The U.S. has supported the YPG/PKK under the name of SDF, which is considered by Ankara as the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terror organization that has waged a more than 30-year war against the Turkish state.