Pentagon contradicts Turkey

NEWS DESK

The statements came with the presence of a Turkish delegation - including the Foreign Minister and Defense Minister - to Washington to discuss developments in the region and the US withdrawal from northern Syria and the buffer zone and the US Patriot missile deal.

Washington: No agreement on security body with Ankara

The spokesman denied the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) Sean Robertson yesterday the existence of a final agreement over the formation of a joint security body between the US and Turkish militaries to coordinate the withdrawal of American soldiers from the north and east of Syria.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said earlier Thursday that Ankara and Washington agreed on a joint task force to oversee the withdrawal of US troops from Syria.

Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu's statement came at a press conference in Washington, which he was visiting to participate in a meeting of foreign ministers of the member states of the Global Coalition to combat IS.

Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said that the mutual proposals will be evaluated by the parties, in order to complete the phase of withdrawal of US troops from Syria without any problems.

The Pentagon warned Turkey of the consequences of the deal to buy the S-400 missile defense system from Moscow

Pentagon spokesman Eric Bahon said the Pentagon was choosing the Ankara authorities to either acquire Russian missile defense systems or buy a Patriot battery network.

He added, "The talks with Turkey continue in this regard, and it is in the interests of the two countries to maintain strong relations and deal with a range of security and military outstanding issues."

Bahon's remarks come days before US Defense Secretary Patrick M. Shanahan and his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar met in Brussels on February 13 on the sidelines of a meeting of NATO ministers.

Pentagon: No date for withdrawal from Syria yet

Tom Crosson, director of the US Defense Department's office, denied that the Pentagon had set a date for the withdrawal of US troops from Syria, stressing that the exit procedures were carried out according to an agenda and coordination with the allies.

US Department of State: SDF should not be targeted after our withdrawal from Syria

According to the Russian "Novosti" Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that there should be no military operations targeting "Syrian Democratic Forces(SDF)" and the Kurdish units after the withdrawal of our troops from Syria.

State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said, "We talked a lot about this with our partners at different levels, that is how to withdraw our troops from northeastern Syria safely and stabilize the liberated areas."

He added, "We have clearly stated that SDF cannot be targeted by military operations, which also includes the Kurdish component of SDF."

The statements of the US State Department came at a time when the Turkish President threatens day and night to attack the components of northern Syria in cooperation with his mercenaries in the so-called Free Syrian Army.

A.H

ANHA