N. Syrian tribes hail Turkey’s anti-YPG/PKK efforts

Local tribes in Syria’s Manbij region have declared their support for Turkish efforts to rid the area of the YPG/PKK terrorist group.

Leaders of the tribes, many members of which have been displaced by YPG/PKK terrorists, met recently in Jarabulus, which was liberated from the Daesh terrorist group by Turkey’s Operation Euphrates Shield.

A total of 800 people -- including representatives of 25 tribes, the Syrian opposition's interim government and the Free Syrian Army -- attended the meeting.

Attendees stressed the importance of national unity and solidarity. Some attendees held banners reading: "Yes to supporting just institutions" and "Let’s collaborate to rebuild the city".

Tribal representatives, for their part, said they wanted to return to their homes and voiced support for Turkey’s efforts to rid Manbij of YPG/PKK elements.

In a closing statement released after the meeting, attendees condemned the YPG/PKK for discriminating against the people of Manbij and its policy of trying to change the region’s demographics.

Since Nov. 1, Turkish and U.S. troops have been conducting joints patrols in Manbij.

The Turkish military has been conducting unilateral patrols in the region since June.

A deal between Turkey and the U.S. calls for the withdrawal of all YPG/PKK terrorists from the city and region, which is located in the northeast of Syria's northern Aleppo province.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the death of some 40,000 people, including women and children. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian affiliate.

Turkey’s Operation Euphrates Shield, which began in August of 2016 and concluded in March of last year, was aimed eliminating the terrorist threat in the Syrian regions of Jarabulus, Al-Rai, Al-Bab and Azaz with the help of the Free Syrian Army backed by Turkish air cover and artillery support.