Secretary of State Jim Mattis said Monday the U.S. is ready to implement a Manbij-focused roadmap with Turkey.
"We are prepared to go forward with the collaboration across the forward line of our own troops, which starts with knowing where each of us is at," Mattis told reporters, referring to Turkish military forces.
"Then start patrols on each side, saying ‘I see you, you see me’ and then probably some kind of collaborative patrols inside that pocket."
Mattis also noted that the military factors are now in execution for the Manbij-focused roadmap, adding that U.S. and Turkish officials will also meet in Stuttgart, Germany this week to discuss the military implementation of the plan.
The Manbij roadmap was announced after a meeting in Washington on June 4 between Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoglu and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The deal focuses on the withdrawal of the Kurdish YPG militants from the northern Syrian city. The YPG is expected to retreat to the east of the Euphrates River, meeting a long-standing demand by Ankara.
Manbij is held by the Syrian-Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG). The U.S. has a military presence in Manbij and has provided military support to the YPG, causing anger from Turkish AKP government.
The U.S.-Turkish plan oversees the withdrawal of YPG militants from Manbij in northern Syria and the security of the region to be maintained by Turkish and U.S. soldiers.
