Turkish foreign minister said Tuesday YPG/PKK terrorists will be disarmed under a roadmap drawn up by Turkey and the U.S. to rid Manbij, Syria, of the terror group.
The roadmap on Manbij was announced after a meeting between Cavusoglu and his U.S. counterpart Mike Pompeo on Monday.
The deal focuses on the withdrawal of the PKK-affiliated YPG terror group from the northern Syrian city and regional stability in the region.
"In the first phase, terrorist YPG will withdraw from Manbij. They will disarm as they withdraw. They will move to the east of the Euphrates. However, that does not mean we will accept that they stay there," Cavusoglu told reporters in the southern Antalya province, adding that the roadmap will be implemented in the east of the Euphrates, too.
He described the deal as an opportunity for the future of Syria and also for Turkey and the U.S. to put relations back on track.
"Thus, this roadmap has to be fully implemented, on which we have agreed. Both sides have the determination on this," Cavusoglu said.
He said intelligence, military and defense officials, as well as diplomats, are set to hold a preparatory meeting in 10 days to lay the groundwork for the implementation of the roadmap, which he said will take less than six months.
He said after the YPG/PKK terrorists withdrew from Manbij, Turkey and the U.S. will jointly provide security in Manbij.
"Once [the implementation of] Manbij model is completed, a similar model will be applied to other areas of Syria occupied by the terrorist YPG," he said.
'No 3rd country in Manbij roadmap'
The Turkish minister said the roadmap was not "an international agreement" but rather "a bilateral roadmap".
"No third country will have a say in
Anadolu Agency
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