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October 14, 2019The approach shown by "Russia will not be a problem in Kobane" for our attack, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in his first comment on the agreement reached by the Kurds with the Syrian regime through Russian mediation to defend itself against the Ankara offensive. "At the moment there are many rumors," added Erdogan, belittling the immediate effects of the Kurdish agreement with Damascus to protect Kobane, after the abandonment of the outpost by US marines.

The leader of Ankara has also confirmed the intention to storm Manbij, another strategic Kurdish town west of the Euphrates river. "Our agreement with the United States was for Manbij to be evacuated by terrorists in 90 days. A year has passed and Manbij has not yet been evacuated," said Erdogan speaking at Istanbul's Ataturk airport before leaving for a summit in Azerbaijan.

Turkey will release the cities of Ayn al-Arab (Kobane) and Manbij, in northern Syria, from terrorists after receiving a substantial green light from Russia: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, quoted by Sabah, said today. "It appears that the Turkish operation will have no problem in Ayn al-Arab (Kobane), in Syria, since Russia has also shown a positive approach," said Erdogan in view of his trip to Azerbaijan. Manbij, we are currently implementing our decision, "the Turkish president added. Erdogan again reiterated that Turkey is not at war with the Kurds but against terrorist groups in the border region between the two countries.

Damascus troops on the Turkish border
Damascus's decision to send troops to northwestern Syria follows an agreement between the regime of Bashar al-Assad and the Kurdish administration. "To avoid and deal with this aggression, an agreement was reached with the Syrian government. In this way the Syrian army can be deployed along the Syrian-Turkish border to help the Syrian Democratic Forces (FDS) ". The aim, continues the note, is to "free the Syrian cities occupied by the Turkish army, such as Afrin" in the northwest. Kurdish general Ismet Sheikh Hasan told Russian news agency Rt that Syrian and Russian troops can enter Kobane and Manbij from night to help fight the Turks.

Ankara's attack on Kobane
Numerous tanks, armored vehicles and military units of the Turkish army and the pro-Ankara Arab militias entered in the last hours in the north of Syria west of the Euphrates river, in an area already controlled by Turkey, in order to launch the attack on Kobane from the western front. This new offensive would start from Jarablus, a strategic Syrian border town that passed into the hands of Turkey with the 'Shield of Euphrates' operation of 2016-2017. The new deployment of forces intends to cross the Euphrates, which represents a natural border of the region administered by the Syrian Kurds, building a temporary bridge over the river. From there it will focus first on the Kurdish area of ​​Zormagar and then towards Kobane / Ayn al Arab.

It remains to be seen what will be the effect on this planned maneuver of the ongoing progress of the troops of Damascus to the northeast and Kobane itself, after the agreement announced last night between the Kurds and Bashar al Assad's forces through mediation Russian.

Pro-Turkish militias are strengthened in Manbij
The Turkish troops and the Arab-Syrian militias co-opted by Ankara are sending reinforcements to Manbij, west of the Euphrates, in view of a clash with Syrian government forces, agreed with the Turkish ones to "protect" the border area in the north and in the north-east of Syria. This was reported by the pan-Arab TV channel Al Jazira, which cites sources of pro-Turkish Syrian militias. The sources state that Turkey has also strengthened its presence close to the key city of Ayn Arab / Kobane, controlled by the Kurds but threatened by the Ankara offensive. Ayn Arab / Kobane is also part of the agreement between Kurds and Damascus forces.