US Response to Turkey's Warning: We Will Not Withdraw Our Forces from Manbij in Syria

The commander of the US Central Command stated that the United States does not intend to withdraw its military forces from the city of Manbij in northern Syria. Joseph Votel's remarks were a response to Turkey's warning last week, which called on the US to immediately withdraw its forces from this city, which is controlled by Syrian Kurdish militants. Turkey has been conducting operations in northern Syria and the Afrin region for the past 10 days to 'cleanse' its border area of the People's Protection Units (YPG), which it considers a terrorist group. On Sunday, Joseph Votel stated during his departure to the Middle East on CNN that the withdrawal of US forces from Manbij 'is not something we intend to do.' Turkey has expressed its desire to remove the YPG from the predominantly Arab city of Manbij, east of Afrin. According to Reuters, the United States has about 2,000 troops in northern Syria, whose role is to train the YPG against the Islamic State (ISIS). Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu stated on Saturday that the US must adhere to its promise to stop military aid to the YPG, including immediately withdrawing its forces from around Manbij. He stated, 'It is essential that the United States sever ties with this terrorist organization and completely disarm them. They must collect the weapons they have provided to this group and immediately leave Manbij.' The Turkish military operation in Afrin, named 'Olive Branch,' has heightened tensions in Turkey-US relations. The US Central Command's emphasis on remaining in Manbij coincides with preparations by some parties involved in the Syrian crisis to meet at the Russia-hosted peace conference in Sochi. The Syrian Democratic Forces, of which the YPG is the main body, have stated that they will likely not attend the Sochi meeting due to Russia's alignment with Turkey. In another development, it has been reported that Turkish security and police forces arrested over 300 individuals on Monday due to online protests against Turkey's military operation in northern Syria. These arrests occurred a day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused doctors opposing the military campaign of treason. The Turkish Interior Ministry stated that a total of 311 people have been arrested over the past two days on charges of 'spreading terrorist propaganda' on social media. Those arrested include politicians, journalists, and civil activists. The Turkish military operation has received widespread support from pro-government media in Turkey, except for the People's Democratic Party, which supports the Kurds. However, there are also dissenting voices. Turkish media reported over the weekend that 170 artists sent an open letter to lawmakers from the ruling Justice and Development Party, urging them to immediately end Turkey's military assault. The Turkish Medical Association also condemned the operation last week, stating, 'No to war, peace immediately.' Erdogan accused this association of treason on Sunday, saying, 'Believe me, they are not intellectuals at all; they are a bunch of slaves. They are servants of imperialists.' He added, 'This 'no to war' that these rabble-rousers shout... is nothing but an outburst of treason in their souls... This is real filth; this is a disgraceful position that says 'no.'