Joint Patrols by the U.S. and Turkey in Syria's Manbij 'Will Begin Soon'

U.S. General Joseph Votel has stated that joint patrol operations by the U.S. military and Turkish armed forces in Syria's Manbij will begin soon. General Votel, commander of the U.S. Central Command, informed reporters that the joint patrols will commence after the completion of a training mission expected to last 'a few more days.' At the end of summer, a spokesperson for the Turkish presidency had also announced that joint patrols and training of U.S. and Turkish forces in Manbij, northern Syria, would 'begin soon.' According to the 'Manbij Agreement' between the foreign ministers of Turkey and the United States, the withdrawal of U.S.-backed Kurdish forces from 'Manbij' and other cities in the region will occur after their disarmament. The duration of this cooperation has been set for six months. When this agreement was reached last spring, it was reported that the U.S. did not mention anything about the delivery of weapons nor confirmed the six-month timeframe as a definitive period, stating instead that it is an estimated time dependent on conditions and events in the region. Turkey considers the Kurdish militia group People's Protection Units (YPG) a 'terrorist group' and has therefore demanded their disarmament before their exit from Manbij. However, these militias are also considered a significant part of the ground operations supported by the U.S.-led coalition in the battles against the Islamic State in Syria. The joint patrols by the U.S. and Turkey are part of agreements between Washington and Ankara. Previously, the military forces of both countries patrolled the border areas separately. General Votel stated, 'We are currently exactly where we wanted to be... We have reached a mutual and considered agreement regarding the joint training program.' The American commander did not comment on the number of troops that will participate in the patrols or the type of military equipment for this operation.