Turkish Foreign Minister's Visit to the U.S. for Discussions on Syria

The Turkish Foreign Minister is traveling to Washington to meet with his American counterpart. The two sides are set to discuss their differences in northern Syria, U.S. support for Kurdish militants, and what is referred to as the 'Manbij plan.' Mevlut Cavusoglu, the Turkish Foreign Minister, is visiting the United States for a two-day meeting, including with Mike Pompeo, his American counterpart, on June 3rd. The Turkish newspaper Hurriyet states that the goal of this visit is to 'end months of negotiations to achieve a roadmap that leads to a mutual agreement regarding Manbij in Syria; a plan that ultimately aims to remove Kurdish militants from Manbij and somewhat reduce tensions between the two NATO allies, the U.S. and Turkey.' The Turkish Foreign Minister stated on Saturday that the United States has 'preferred to cooperate with a terrorist organization in Syria. This is a big mistake, and we are trying to change this situation.' Turkey considers the Kurdish militants in northern Syria, who are allies of the U.S.-led coalition in the fight against ISIS, as a branch of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and a 'terrorist group.' The U.S. recognizes the PKK as a terrorist organization but rejects Turkey's accusations against the People's Protection Units (YPG) and its political branch, stating they are not terrorist entities. Turkey has launched operations in Syria, largely focused on battling Kurdish militants. Ankara requested the United States last February to either stop all support for the YPG in Syria or accept the risk of confrontation with Turkish ground forces in Syria. U.S. forces were deployed around Manbij during heightened tensions in northern Syria to prevent clashes between U.S.-backed forces and those supported by Turkey. Mike Pompeo expressed hope nearly two weeks ago that both sides would avoid any potential confrontation. He emphasized during a meeting in the U.S. Congress that one of the main objectives of the meetings on Monday is issues related to northern Syria. The meeting between Cavusoglu and Pompeo is the first encounter between the two ministers since Pompeo transitioned from the CIA to the State Department. Cavusoglu stated on Saturday, 'No one wants to lose an ally like Turkey. And if someone wants to do so, they are harming themselves, not us. We have other options and alternatives.' The international section of Voice of America cites analysts stating that the Turkish Foreign Minister’s remarks about other options are likely related to cooperation with Russia. Relations between Moscow and Ankara have expanded in recent months, and Turkey has proceeded to purchase a missile defense system from Russia despite ongoing NATO objections.