Erdoğan: Turkey Won't Enter Manbij, Its 'Real Owners' Will

Photo: AA

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Turkey will not enter the Manbij city in the Operation Peace Spring it launched on October 9, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said.

"According to our agreement with the US, terrorist organizations were going to leave Manbij. One year has passed, they must leave Manbij," Erdoğan said in a press conference he held at İstanbul Atatürk Airport before his visit to Azerbaijan.

"We won't enter Manbij when terrorists leave there. Our Arab brothers are the real owners of there. The tribes are the real owners and we had meetings with them. They will enter there and our approach is that they will enter there and we will ensure their security."

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), with the support of the US-led coalition, captured the Arab-majority city of Manbij from the ISIS in 2016.

When asked about the reported agreement between the Syrian government and the SDF for the Syrian Army to take over Manbij and Kobani, Erdoğan said, "It seems like, with the positive approach of Russia, there will be no problem for Kobani," indicating that Turkey will enter the Kurdish-majority town.

The president also criticized international media, saying that "It is inexplicable that the foreign media is silent about 600 mortar shells that were fired into our country. This is their usual tactic." (AÖ/VK)