Ankara, Washington ‘almost ready’ to start joint patrols in Syria’s Manbij

Turkey and the United States have almost completed work on joint patrols in northern Syria’s Manbij area, and those patrols and joint training will begin soon, according to Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin. He said on Friday that Ankara expects the international community to contribute to the political process in Syria, Reuters reports. The patrols are part of a plan that Ankara and Washington agreed on in June amid Turkish demands for the withdrawal of a US-backed Kurdish militia. Kalin described as “a serious concern” continued US support for the Kurdish forces.