Erdogan confirms Turkey-US patrols in Syria’s Manbij

SAMSUN, TURKEY - JUNE 18: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at an election campaign rally for ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party in Samsun, Turkey on June 18, 2018. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday confirmed Turkish Armed Forces in cooperation with U.S. troops had begun patrolling the northern Syrian city of Manbij. Erdogan’s remarks came during his ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party’s election rally in the Black Sea province of Samsun. Armored vehicles belonging to the Turkish army were stationed around Sajur river which runs through the town of Jarabulus, in the area where Operation Euphrates Shield took place, and Manbij. Operation Euphrates Shield, which began in August 2016 and ended in March 2017, was aimed at eliminating the terrorist threat along the Turkish border with the use of the Free Syrian Army, backed by Turkish artillery and air cover. The joint forces carried out patrols in an area overlooking the U.S. base in Syria's town of Dadat. The patrols, in line with a roadmap devised by the U.S. and Turkey on the issue of Manbij, lasted around three hours. (Footage by Mustafa Cavus/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)