ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) forces have not withdrawn east of the Euphrates River in northern Syria, claimed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Erdogan dismissed claims made by US officials that Kurdish forces had withdrawn to the east bank of the Euphrates River, saying this news is "not true” and "such a development must be confirmed by Turkish intelligence first.”
“The PYD has not retreated to the place they were in before they controlled Manbij and the Turkish army insists they be pushed back from the border area,” Erdogan added.
The PYD is the political arm of the Peoples Protection Forces (YPG), the major Kurdish armed force combatting Islamic State (ISIS) and protecting Rojava in northern Syria.
Erdogan praised his country’s military victory over ISIS in Jarablus but expressed concern over western reaction to Turkey’s offensive in northern Syria. “The defeat of ISIS in Jarablus angered many western countries. The west must have a decisive stance on whether they support terror or counter-terror.”
Many media outlets reported that Turkish armed forces and allied militias were targeting Kurdish forces rather than ISIS in northern Syria.
The goal of Turkey’s incursion into northern Syria was to cleanse the border of area of terrorist groups – both ISIS and the YPG, Turkish officials stated. Turkey does not want Kurdish forces to remain west of the Euphrates where they have been fighting ISIS as part of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The Turkish president reiterated on Friday that they “do not believe announcements made [by US officials] about the retreat of the PYD to the east of Euphrates."
The US Department of Defense (DoD) confirmed that Kurdish forces have returned across the river. “We have made clear to the YPG elements of the SDF that they must return to the east side of the Euphrates River in accordance with their commitments,” a DoD spokesperson told Rudaw in an email on Thursday. “We believe this has already largely occurred.”
On Wednesday, the Pentagon also insisted Kurdish forces were withdrawing west of the Euphrates River.
"The people we are working with, the SDF [Syrian Democratic Forces] – the SDF is comprised with a lot of Kurds but other elements too – have lived up to their promise," Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis said.
According to Davis, the withdrawals have been taking place for about three days but local reports and some Turkish officials say the PYD and YPG continue to hold villages in and around Manbij.
A DoD spokesperson told Rudaw on Thursday that some SDF forces remain in Manbij, “as planned,” where they are clearing explosives left behind by ISIS. It is not clear if those SDF forces are Kurdish or members of other militias aligned within the SDF, including Arab groups.
Erdogan said that the Turkish-led operation to "cleanse north Syria of terrorists was going successfully and a 400 square kilometre area had been cleared of Daesh [ISIS] and YPG terrorists," according to the Daily Sabah.
"Euphrates Shield Operation’s aim is to remove the threat imposed by terror groups at our border. We cannot turn a blind eye to the rocket attacks fired from bordering towns in north Syria into Turkish soil," Erdoğan said.
He added that Turkey's operation into Jarablus was not an incursion but was carried out in order to allow the local Arab population to return to their homes in the town, which was under ISIS control for more than two years.
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