ANKARA, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Turkey and the U.S. haven't reached an agreement but an understanding on Syria's Manbij, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Wednesday.
"If we reach consensus about roadmap with the U.S., then we can say we have an agreement. Right now, there is an understanding," Cavusoglu said during a news conference in Ankara.
The agreed model in Syria's Manbij will be applied to all areas controlled by the People's Protection Units (YPG), Cavusoglu was quoted by Daily Sabah as saying.
"It will not be enough for the YPG to retreat from Manbij, There will be other cities after Manbij," he added, referring to Turkey's possible operation in the region in near future.
Turkey and the U.S. agreed to build a mechanism to normalize strained ties during Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's last visit to Ankara on Feb. 16.
Ankara has repeated that withdrawal of PKK-linked YPG from Manbij is the precondition for Turkey's cooperation with U.S. based on trust in Syria.
Ibrahim Kalin, Presidential Spokesperson, said Monday two NATO allies will avoid a possible conflict in the region if the withdrawal of the U.S.-backed YPG forces in Manbij is completed.
Washington has voiced concerns about the safety of U.S. troops in Manbij where they are currently stationed amid Turkey's ongoing military operation against the YPG militants.
