“Manbij is not a place for the PYD or YPG … it belongs to Arabs,” Erdogan told reporters at Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul before departing for an economic summit in Pakistan.
Manbij, an Arab-populated city on the western bank of the Euphrates River, is currently controlled by the terror group PYD, an offshoot of the PKK which Ankara has been fighting for several decades.
Turkey has insisted PYD elements must leave Manbij and withdraw east of the Euphrates.
“First of all they should evacuate the place so that local residents can come there,” Erdogan urged.
Ankara has repeatedly said one terror group should not be used against another and urged the US-led coalition to stop using the YPG to eliminate ISIS terrorists in the region.
The Turkish government said it would not participate in any formation where the PYD/YPG is included.
Erdogan said FSA forces could lead the Raqqa operation, adding they have completed successful operations in Jarabulus, al-Rai, Dabiq and al-Bab.
Turkish-backed forces have killed more than 3,000 Daesh terrorists -- as well as some PYD elements -- in northern Syria under Operation Euphrates Shield, according to the Turkish president.
Operation Euphrates Shield began in late August to improve security, support coalition forces, and eliminate the terror threat along the Turkish border using Free Syrian Army fighters backed by Turkish artillery and jets.
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