Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) have called on the Syrian government forces to take control over Manbij amid Turkey's plans to launch a military operation on the city, the YPG said Friday.
"Due to the invading Turkish state’s threats to invade northern Syria and displace its people similarly to al-Bab, Jarablus and Afrin, we as the People’s Protection Units, following the withdrawal of our forces from Manbij before, announce that our forces will be focusing on the fight against ISIS* [Daesh] on all the fronts in the east of the Euphrates," the YPG said in a statement.
"In conjunction with this, we invite the Syrian government forces which are obliged to protect the same country, nation and borders, to assert control over the areas our forces have withdrawn from, in particularly Manbij, and to protect these areas against a Turkish invasion," the statement added.
Commenting on the situation around the town of Manbij, the Turkish Defence Ministry issued a statement, saying that the YPG militia had no authority to invite other elements into the town, and warned all parties to refrain from destabilising the region.
READ MORE: Turkey Doesn't Need Permission from Israel or Anyone to Fight Terror — Ankara
The surprise withdrawal of 2,000 US troops from Syria was announced on Wednesday after Trump said that the objective to defeat the Daesh terror group had been achieved.
Washington's support for Syrian Kurdish fighters who Turkey regards as part of the outlawed separatist Kurdistan Workers’ Party has long soured its bilateral relations with Ankara.
*Daesh (aka Islamic state, ISIL, IS) is a terrorist group banned in Russia
