Jun 4, 2018, 10:52 AM

Manbij roadmap to be 'turning point' in US-Turkey ties: Turkish FM

Manbij roadmap to be 'turning point' in US-Turkey ties: Turkish FM

TEHRAN, Jun. 04 (MNA) – Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said the implementation of a roadmap for withdrawal of YPG/PKK terrorists from the northern Syrian city of Manbij is expected to begin after his meeting with US counterpart Mike Pompeo.

“After giving approval to Manbij [issue] in the east of the Euphrates [river] tomorrow as two ministers, we will begin to implement it, which may be a turning point for bilateral relations,” Cavusoglu said at an iftar [fast-breaking] program in Washington Sunday.

The Turkish-American National Steering Committee (TASC) had arranged the iftar at the Diyanet Center of America, Anadolu reported.

The roadmap on Manbij is expected to be announced following the meeting with Pompeo, which would focus on the withdrawal of the PKK-affiliated YPG terror group from the northern Syrian city and regional stability in the region.

The foreign minister said the US support for the PKK/PYD terrorist organization in Syria is one of the most important issues creating a dispute between Ankara and Washington.

"We strive for a political solution in Syria. We reject all efforts towards dividing Syria. We have been working as a main actor for the political solution in Syria with Astana, Sochi and Geneva [peace] processes,” he said.

Cavusoglu also mentioned that a negative atmosphere against Turkey had been created at the US Congress over the delivery of the F-35 fifth generation fighter jets to Ankara.

Turkey’s deal to buy missile defense systems from Russia had also caused tensions between Turkey and the US, he said.

“But before we get these systems [from Russia] we wanted to buy them from our allies and the United States. But they did not sell us. We had to buy them from Russia. If the US is ready to sell us, we want to get it from our allies too,” Cavusoglu added.

News ID 134567

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