By Huseyin Hayatsever and Simon Lewis
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will journey to Turkey on Thursday for talks targeted on a important side of building stability in Syria: clashes within the north of the nation between U.S.-backed Kurdish forces and Turkey-backed rebels.
Blinken is due in Ankara on Thursday after visiting Jordan on his first journey to the area after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s authorities was ousted on Sunday. He was attributable to maintain talks with Turkish International Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday.
NATO allies Washington and Ankara supported Syrian rebels through the 13-year-long civil warfare, however their pursuits notably clashed when it got here to one of many insurgent factions – the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The SDF is the principle ally in a U.S. coalition towards Islamic State militants. It’s spearheaded by the Folks’s Safety Items (YPG), which Ankara sees as an extension of Kurdistan Employees Occasion (PKK) militants that it outlaws and which have fought the Turkish state for 40 years.
The U.S. State Division stated Blinken would focus on Syria and “ongoing bilateral cooperation” on counterterrorism and regional stability in his conferences with Turkish officers.
A Turkish official stated Syria would high the agenda of Blinken’s talks with Fidan, including Turkey is able to assist Syria as a secure and secure place ruled by an inclusive authorities. However Fidan would additionally emphasize Turkey’s sensitivities within the north, stated the official, talking on situation of anonymity.
Earlier this week Turkey-backed forces seized the northern metropolis of Manbij from the U.S.-backed SDF, which then headed east of the Euphrates River. A Syrian opposition supply instructed Reuters the U.S. and Turkey had reached an settlement on the withdrawal.
A Turkish defence ministry official stated on Thursday the Turkey-backed group’s advance aimed to “clear terrorism”.
The official warned about unspecified efforts to offer cowl for the PKK by flagging dangers associated to Islamic State, including that Ankara has instructed Washington that one terrorist group can’t be used to eradicate one other.
Blinken stated on Monday that Islamic State will attempt to use this era to re-establish capabilities in Syria, however the US is decided to not let that occur.
A few of the SDF fighters additionally withdrew from Tel Refaat and elements of Aleppo to the west within the early days of the lightning insurgent offensive that swept south throughout the nation.
Turkey additionally immediately focused the YPG in current days with its intelligence company destroying 12 vehicles loaded with missiles and heavy weapons in northeast Syria.
This text was produced by Reuters information company. It has not been edited by International South World.
