Persecuted locals of northern Syria's Manbij groups hope Turkey will liberate the town from PKK-affiliated terrorists just as it did in Afrin, a prominent tribe leader said Monday.Turkish media reported that Abdul Karim al-Fahal, a sheikh from the Manbij's Ghanaim tribe, sent a letter to People's Protection Units (YPG) militants, where he called on the PKK-affiliated group to immediately leave Manbij.
Speaking to the Yeni Şafak daily, Fahal said the locals of Manbij want to be administrated like areas under control of Turkish-backed forces, vowing that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and Free Syrian Army (FSA) will be warmly welcomed by the residents of Manbij if a military operation were to be conducted. "The locals say they will welcome the Turkish military with roses," Fahal said.
The stability provided in a short time in the areas liberated from with Operation Euphrates Shield and from the YPG in Operation Olive Branch, carried out by the Turkish military and the FSA, has inspired confidence and encouraged hope in other residents of Syria.
Last week, the exiled residents of northwestern Syria's Tal Rifaat and numerous FSA fighters gathered in northwestern Syria's Azaz to stage a protest, asking Turkey to help liberate their territories in the ongoing Operation Olive Branch, and prevent the city from being handed over to the Assad regime. Fahal added that 70 percent of Manbij locals' houses were seized by the YPG and used by YPG figures. "They tried to forcibly recruit the youth. Most of the young people living in Manbij are now either hiding or have already fled," he said.
