Talks on Syria not affected by Tillerson’s departure: Turkish FM
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Talks on the strategic partnership between Turkey and the United States have not been suspended despite the cancellation of a meeting between Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Rex Tillerson, who was sacked from his position of Secretary of State last week, Cavusoglu stated.
The two diplomats had reportedly been scheduled to meet on March 19 to discuss Syria’s Manbij.
Cavusoglu said on Tuesday that his undersecretary Umit Yalcin will travel to Washington shortly to meet with US officials, Daily Sabah reported.
He added that he expects to meet with Mike Pompeo, US President Donald Trump’s nominee to replace Tillerson, once he is approved by congress.
Ankara claims that the two sides have already reached an agreement on the contentious Syrian city of Manbij – under the control of Kurdish armed forces of the YPG, backed by the United States.
Turkey considers the YPG a branch of the PKK, a named terror group, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday repeated his threat to take the war against the YPG to Afrin and across Kurdish-controlled northern Syria, Rojava, after Afrin.
Turkey wants the YPG to withdraw from Manbij.
Turkish Presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin told Al Jazeera on Monday that they have an agreement on Manbij and Turkey is waiting for the US to implement the deal.
The United States has expressed concern about Turkey’s military operation against the Kurds in Syria, saying it is contributing to the poor humanitarian situation in the country and distracting from the war against ISIS.
The two diplomats had reportedly been scheduled to meet on March 19 to discuss Syria’s Manbij.
Cavusoglu said on Tuesday that his undersecretary Umit Yalcin will travel to Washington shortly to meet with US officials, Daily Sabah reported.
He added that he expects to meet with Mike Pompeo, US President Donald Trump’s nominee to replace Tillerson, once he is approved by congress.
Ankara claims that the two sides have already reached an agreement on the contentious Syrian city of Manbij – under the control of Kurdish armed forces of the YPG, backed by the United States.
Turkey considers the YPG a branch of the PKK, a named terror group, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday repeated his threat to take the war against the YPG to Afrin and across Kurdish-controlled northern Syria, Rojava, after Afrin.
Turkey wants the YPG to withdraw from Manbij.
Turkish Presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin told Al Jazeera on Monday that they have an agreement on Manbij and Turkey is waiting for the US to implement the deal.
Asked by Rudaw’s Roj Eli Zalla if this was true and if implementation of any deal would be delayed until Pompeo takes the helm, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert on Tuesday responded, “That’s funny, because no agreement has been reached,” indicating the NATO allies are still not seeing eye-to-eye in the region.
The United States has expressed concern about Turkey’s military operation against the Kurds in Syria, saying it is contributing to the poor humanitarian situation in the country and distracting from the war against ISIS.