Turkey Warns the U.S.: We Will Also Operate in Manbij

As the U.S. Secretary of Defense requested Turkey to exercise 'restraint' in its attack on the Kurdish region of Afrin in northern Syria, the Turkish Foreign Minister warned Washington that Turkish forces are set to conduct operations in the city of Manbij, where some U.S. forces are stationed. The U.S. relies on the Kurdish militia 'People's Protection Units' (YPG) to counter the influence of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria, and Turkey's operations to suppress this force have complicated relations between the U.S. and Turkey. The Kurdish region of Afrin in northern Syria is separate from other Kurdish areas in the north of the country, which have been under the control of the YPG for the past year, and the Kurdish fighters' attempts to geographically connect Afrin with other Kurdish regions have been thwarted by Turkish intervention. Turkey launched an operation named 'Olive Branch' on Saturday, January 20, aimed at 'rooting out' YPG militants in Afrin. According to Turkey, the YPG has close ties with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and both are considered 'terrorist groups.' According to AFP, the Turkish army engaged in heavy fighting with Kurdish militants inside Syria on Tuesday, January 23, the fourth day of the operation, while Syrian Kurdish leaders urged local civilians to take up arms and confront Turkish soldiers. A White House spokesperson called for Turkey to exercise restraint in Afrin on Monday, January 22, due to the 'humanitarian crisis and regional stability,' and the next day, U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis also urged Turkey to show restraint in this matter. Mr. Mattis, who was on an Asian trip in Indonesia, stated that 'we take Turkey's legitimate security concerns very seriously,' adding that 'violence in Afrin disrupts this relatively stable region of Syria and diverts attention from the international effort to defeat ISIS.' The U.S. Secretary of Defense emphasized: 'We ask all parties to focus their attention on defeating ISIS.' However, on the same day, according to German news agency reports, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu warned the U.S. Secretary of Defense that the Afrin operation is set to expand to the city of Manbij; a move that would mean a confrontation between the military forces of the two NATO allies. Both Afrin and Manbij are controlled by U.S.-backed Kurdish militants, while Ankara considers these militants 'terrorists.' The U.S. has also stationed its military forces in Manbij and has separately trained Kurdish militants there. The U.S. has also supplied these militants with weapons in their fight against ISIS. Mevlut Cavusoglu stated on Tuesday: 'Terrorists in Manbij are constantly conducting harassment operations with their artillery. If the U.S. cannot stop this, we will.' The Turkish Foreign Minister added to the U.S.: 'If you are not with us, at least do not stand in our way.' Meanwhile, Turkish media reports that Turkish authorities have arrested 91 people for what they called 'terrorist propaganda' against the Afrin operation on social media. According to Anadolu Agency, police raids in 13 provinces also targeted members of parliament from the 'Peoples' Democratic Party' (HDP), which advocates for Kurdish rights. The Cumhuriyet newspaper also separately reported that at least five journalists have been arrested since Monday in Ankara and the provinces of Diyarbakir and Van. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised on Sunday to severely suppress any protests against the Afrin operation. Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council meeting on Monday regarding Turkey's military operation in Afrin ended without condemning the action or issuing a statement. Qatar, considered an ally of Turkey, supported the Afrin operation on Tuesday, citing 'legitimate security concerns' of Turkey.