Syrian Kurds to pull out of key town, easing U.S.-Turkey rift
A Syrian Kurdish militia says it’s pulling out of a key northern Syrian town, potentially easing a serious rift between the United States and Turkey.
The People’s Protection Units, known by their Kurdish acronym YPG, said in a statement Tuesday that its advisors had completed their mission to train the local forces, the Manbij Military Council, to defend the town of Manbij.
The development follows an announcement Monday from Turkey, saying it had reached an agreement with the U.S. over the future of the town.
Both the YPG and the Manbij Military Council are backed by the U.S., straining Washington-Ankara relations.
Ankara considers the YPG a terrorist group tied to a Kurdish insurgency within Turkey and has demanded for over a year that the Kurdish fighters leave Manbij.
Must-read stories from the L.A. Times
Get all the day's most vital news with our Today's Headlines newsletter, sent every weekday morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
More From the Los Angeles Times
A bipartisan group of senators has reached a tentative framework on an infrastructure deal ahead of a crucial meeting with President Biden at the White House
-
Many analysts expect President Biden to use Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to make home loans cheaper and easier to get for minority groups and less-well-off borrowers.
-
The chief of the Border Patrol says he is leaving his job after less than two years in a position that lies in the crosshairs of polarizing political debate
-
A local lawmaker wants to condemn a city-owned park in Seattle next to a courthouse that is the site of a large homeless encampment and declare the area a public safety hazard or a nuisance property.
