Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu – during the meeting with his US counterpart Mike Pompeo on June 4 – agreed on Syrian city of Manbij’s road map , providing for the withdrawal of the Kurdish militia linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
According to the joint plan of Washington and Ankara, these formations will be replaced by the Turkmen and Arab units that will establish control over the city and the surrounding areas. However, the meeting between the US and Turkish foreign ministers must be viewed in the general context of the current Middle Eastern events.
The statement made by Cavusoglu at the joint press conference as a result of the bilateral negotiations demonstrates consensus in principle of Ankara and Washington on the Syrian issue. Let’s highlight two most important among them.
First (according to Cavusoglu), the Manbij road map will be used in other areas of Syria. That is, Ankara does not intend to abandon the plans on creating a buffer zone along the entire length of the Turkish-Syrian border in order to make it impossible the attacks of the Syrian Kurds on the territory of Turkey. This area is planned to be populated by the Turkmen and Arabs. The maintenance of the Kurdish population not linked to the PKK is also not ruled out.
Thus, the Kurdish militias will have to move away from the border into the territory of Syria, that undoubtedly lead to the transition of the traditional housing areas of the Kurds to the pro-Turkish forces and squeezing out of them the Kurdish population. It’s obvious that the implementation of these plans is next to impossible without the US support that took a gamble on the Kurds in fighting the ISIS.
Replacing the head of the State Department, Donald Trump has embarked on implementing a new Middle Eastern course, which includes the lack of support for the Kurds.

Until recently, the group – predominately composed of the Syrian Democratic Forces – played a key role in fighting the ISIS in the East of Syria. As terrorists are defeated, the need for the Kurds disappears, which allows the US to sacrifice them in the bargaining with Turkey for the division of power in Syria.
In this context, the Kurds have no rights on these territories of Syria, which have turned into the Protectorate of Turkey and the US It’s naive to think that Turkey will allow its old enemy to maintain control over the oil field in Eastern Syria.
At the same time, the Kurds are planned to be replaced by the so-called New Syrian Army, whose fighters are actively being trained by the US military instructors in al-Tanf. If necessary, this formation will co-operate with the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army. The second statement of the Turkish foreign minister on the possible purchase of the American air defence systems answers the question concerning the reasons for such a radical position of Washington on the Kurdish issue.
For the past several months, the primary aim for the US is to prevent deepening co-operation between Turkey and Russia in the Middle East. A contract for the purchase of Russia’s S-400 air defence missile systems by Turkey has become such an indicator. The failure of this deal is a point of pride for the US and President Trump.
The Turkish leader is known for his ability to bargain. This time, he managed to win on Washington’s aspiration to reduce Moscow’s influence in the Middle East and force Trump to sell Patriot anti-missile complexes to Turkey, which Ankara had been trying to achieve for many years.
The Kurds are the losing party in this bargain, which actually falls under attack of the Turkmen. Currently, the main beneficiary is Turkey. As, if the US does not keep its promises and continues supporting the Kurds, the contract for the purchase of Russia’s S-400 will remain in force. If the Kurds leave Manbij and other areas specified by Ankara, Turkey will receive American anti-missile systems, sacrificing relations with Moscow.

Boundless Ocean of Politics has received this article from Sophie Mangal, the special investigative correspondent, Inside Syria Media Centre.

Sophie Mangal

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das