Russia, Turkey, US Hold Military Talks Amid Syria Standoff

Recently, U.S. forces in Manbij in northern Syria have acted as a barrier between Kurdish and Turkish forces. With all sides pushing into terrorist-held territory, the potential for clashes between the players is rising.

“We can say with certainty that our countries have returned to the path of authentic multi-faceted partnership”, Putin said at a news conference following expanded talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Moscow”. Two-thirds of the SDF are fighters of the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, which has exhibited exceptional prowess in winning battles against ISIS.

Turkey will not participate in the Raqqa operation, Yildirim said, if the USA does not heed the warning that was repeated this week by several Turkish politicians here, .

The YPG says it withdrew from Manbij after helping to capture it a year ago, leaving it in the control of allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) – an alliance that includes the YPG and Arab fighters.

Turkey has been equally pointed in its insistence that the Kurds stay away from Raqqa, but recent battlefield gains for the SDF and the arrival of U.S. Marine artillery in the area might have tipped the argument away from Ankara. That could bring pressure for a greater United States role – and a greater risk of confrontations with other players on the ground. Russian Federation has begun airstrikes on terrorist facilities in Syria since 30 September 2015.

The Russian leader hailed the joint efforts on Syria, crediting the coordinated actions of Russia, Turkey and Iran for “considerably lowering the level of violence”.

In fact, according to the sources, Turkish troops occupied the city of Jarablus, just at the border line, and moved forward towards Manbij and Al Bab in operations where they faced troops from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Although Russia is firmly behind Assad, Putin has hinted that he will be eased out eventually and that creates some breathing space for Erdogan’s ambitions. Can the Turkish public forgive the US for such an act of treason?

Turkey’s Chief of Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar, center, U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford, left, and Russia’s Chief of Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov attend a meeting in Antalya, Turkey, March 7, 2017. It noted that areas like Manbij have become “a crowded battlespace” and the proximity of the various forces had created “a unsafe situation”.

Turkey has said its campaign in Syria is aimed at driving Islamic State (ISIS) from its border and preventing YPG expansion in the area.

Her remarks are likely to anger Turkey, which has insisted that Syrian opposition fighters backed by Ankara should lead the offensive on Raqqa rather than the SDF, which is dominated by the Syrian Kurdish militia known as the People’s Protection Units (YPG).

This Tuesday, March 7, 2017 frame grab from video provided by Arab 24 network, shows USA forces take up positions on the outskirts of the Syrian town, Manbij, a flashpoint between Turkish troops and allied Syrian fighters and US -backed Kurdish fighters, in al-Asaliyah village, Aleppo province, Syria.

But the preparations for the battle after Raqqa show that IS leaders are preparing for a protracted war against its enemies in Syria and Iraq, the USA daily reported.

The Wall Street Journal reports that although the Pentagon is now ready to commit combat troops to these missions, the administration remains undecided on a major question: how much to continue the Obama policy of relying on Syrian Kurds to do the main fighting against Islamic State.

The intensified assault on Raqqa comes at a time where USA -backed coalition forces in Iraq have made major gains in their offensive on Mosul.

USA -backed Syrian Kurds and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ally Turkey have both played a role in the US -led coalition to defeat ISIS. Nor are Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces, which Moscow backs.

Turkey’s military chief this week discussed Syria with his United States and Russian counterparts.