Turkish army chief, NATO general discuss Manbij roadmap

ANKARA

Turkey's Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar and NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe Gen. Curtis Scaparotti on Wednesday discussed the Turkish-U.S. Manbij roadmap over the phone.

In a statement released on Thursday, the Turkish General Staff said Akar and Scaparrotti also addressed the security situation in the north of Syria and the security issues in the Manbij-focused roadmap.

The Manbij roadmap was announced after a meeting in Washington last week between Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

The deal focuses on the withdrawal of the PKK-affiliated YPG terror group from the northern Syrian city and on stability in the region.

Should the model prove a success, Turkey will push for a similar arrangement in eastern Syria.

If the Manbij model is successfully implemented, eastern Syria could eventually become a joint U.S.-Turkish zone of influence.

Reporting by Baris Gundogan:Writing by Burcu Arik

ANKARA

Turkey's Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar and NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe Gen. Curtis Scaparotti on Wednesday discussed the Turkish-U.S. Manbij roadmap over the phone.

The Manbij roadmap was announced after a meeting in Washington last week between Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

The deal focuses on the withdrawal of the PKK-affiliated YPG terror group from the northern Syrian city and on stability in the region.

Should the model prove a success, Turkey will push for a similar arrangement in eastern Syria.

If the Manbij model is successfully implemented, eastern Syria could eventually become a joint U.S.-Turkish zone of influence.

Reporting by Baris Gundogan:Writing by Burcu Arik