Washington Post: As its proxies advance in Syria, Turkey warns Kurds to pull back

Syrian rebels, backed by Turkey and the United States, pushed deeper toward US-backed Kurdish positions in northern Syria on Monday, as Turkey’s foreign minister warned the Kurds to "immediately" pull back east of the Euphrates River or face more assaults, The Washington Post reported.

The United States is now caught between the demands of two key allies. Turkey is a vital NATO ally, and the Kurdish fighters have played a critical role in rolling back Daesh group in Syria’s five-year-old civil war. 

Washington’s biggest fear is that the animosities could divert resources and attention from fighting Daesh.

"These clashes over the last couple of days are not helping us advance the efforts against Daesh," US State Department spokesman John Kirby said.

We also fully support the SDF in their efforts to defeat Daesh, said Peter Cook, a Pentagon spokesman. 

He added the SDF have proven to be a reliable and capable force, and our support for the SDF in its fight against Daesh is ongoing and will continue to do so. They have fought hard and sacrificed to try and rid Syria of this hateful group.

Shervan Derwish, a spokesman for the local military council, which is aligned with the Kurds, denied reports that the the People’s Protection Units (YPG) was sending reinforcements to the town to repel any attacks from Turkey or its proxies.

"We have our lines of defense, and we are ready to defend Manbij," said Derwish, an ethnic Kurd who has also served as a spokesman for the SDF.

Source: MENA