Manbij offensive

The White House acknowledged on Dec. 10 Türkiye's "legitimate counterterrorism threat" in Syria, but said it would maintain support for the YPG/PKK-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), its primary anti-ISIL partner in Syria. 

YPG militants in charge of jails in northeast Syria housing about 10,000 men with alleged links to ISIL are releasing prisoners in exchange for money under a "reconciliation" scheme, the Guardian reported on Nov. 22.

Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have regained control of a key border town in northeastern Syria, according to the DPA, citing the UK-based Syrian Human Rights Monitoring Center.

According to information from the centre, SDF fighters seized the city of Ras al-Ain from Turkish forces and their allies, who entered the city two days ago.

Turkey's military operation in northern Syria continued for a sixth day Oct. 14 as Turkish forces took control of the strategic M4 highway, which connects the Syrian districts of Manbij and Qamishli.

Turkey's defense minister and the U.S. special envoy for Syria discussed the situation in the northern Syrian town of Manbij and the east of Euphrates River on June 27, according to a statement from the Turkish defense ministry.

U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff spoke over the phone with his Turkish counterpart about Manbij roadmap and the efforts to ensure ISIL is fully defeated, the U.S. Department of Defense said on March 22.

The implementation of the roadmap for ridding Syrian northern town Manbij of the YPG militants has accelerated as the U.S. changed its attitude towards it, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Feb. 6.

Turkey will no longer wait to launch a military operation into Syria's northeastern Manbij city if the YPG does not retreat within a few weeks, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said.

Turkey's counter-terrorist operation in Syria's Manbij will start at the right time, the national defense minister has said.

A Turkish father has finally reunited with his daughter after undergoing a tough quest to save his daughter who left her home in the Netherlands to join ISIL in Syria.