Turkey will send soldiers to northern Syria when the United States withdraws from the area, the White House announces

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(CNN) - In a remarkable announcement made on Sunday night, the White House said US forces in northern Syria would retreat before a planned Turkish military offensive.

The measure represents a major change in US foreign policy and in effect gives Turkey a green light to attack Kurdish forces backed by US forces. The group, long considered one of Washington's most reliable partners in Syria, has played a key strategic role in the campaign against ISIS in the region.

After a phone call between US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the White House said Turkey would soon begin a military offensive and that US forces would not participate in the operation.

"Turkey will soon move forward with its planned operation in northern Syria," a statement said. "The United States Armed Forces will not support or participate in the operation, and the US forces, having defeated ISIS 'territorial Caliphate, will no longer be in the immediate area."

The White House added that Turkey would now be responsible for all captured ISIS fighters currently held by the US-backed Kurdish forces in northern Syria.

As of last month, the United States said about 1,000 American soldiers were operating in northeastern Syria. Sunday's statement does not specify whether this constituted a total withdrawal of personnel from the country.

"Peace Efforts"

On Saturday, Erdogan announced that Turkey had "completed our preparations and action plan" and was ready to launch a "land and air operation" east of the Euphrates River. He said the goal was to establish "peace" by clearing the region of "terrorists."

"Maybe today or tomorrow is the time to clear the way for (our) peace efforts ... We will carry out a ground and air operation," Erdogan said as he addressed a meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK) in Kizilcahaman, near the capital, Ankara.

Nine trucks loaded with armored vehicles and a bus with military personnel were seen moving towards the border between Turkey and Syria on Saturday, east of the Euphrates River, according to Turkey's state-owned Anadolu Agency.

The convoy was sent to reinforce military units stationed on the border with Syria, the agency said.

Turkey's operation aims to clear the US-backed Kurdish militia, the People's Protection Units (YPG), far from the border with Turkey.

Ankara considers the YPG as a terrorist group affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has fought against the Turkish state for more than three decades. But the United States supports the YPG and gives credit to the Kurds for helping to defeat ISIS in Syria.

Turkey has been working with the USA. UU. to establish "safe areas" that extend along the border between Turkey and Syria, but Anadolu reports that while Turkey welcomes joint patrols, it has also said that the US UU. You are not doing enough to establish the safe zone correctly.

In a phone call with Trump, Erdogan expressed frustration over the failure of the US military to implement the agreement between the two nations, according to a summary of the call issued by the Turkish presidency. The two leaders agreed to meet in Washington next month at Trump's invitation.

The United States and Turkey have been working to establish the buffer zone, which the United States considers a "security mechanism" in northeastern Syria, as part of an attempt to avoid a military incursion into the area that would attack Kurdish groups Syrians, a potential operation that the United States fears that could undermine the fight against ISIS.

The participation of the US army along the Syrian-Turkish border includes crew observation posts, as well as patrolling with Turkish troops in the area.

United States changes tone

Trump's decision to allow Erdogan to go ahead with the operation and get US forces out of the area goes against US officials' efforts to deter Turkey from carrying out military intervention.

"Any uncoordinated military operation in Turkey would be a matter of serious concern, as it would undermine our shared interest in a safe northeast of Syria and the lasting defeat of ISIS," Pentagon spokesman Sean Robertson said recently.

He added that the United States was committed to implementing the security mechanism, or safe zone, and contrary to Erdogan's comments, said it was "on time, or earlier than expected, in many areas."

On Saturday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters that "we have made it clear that this conflict should not be militarized."

However, a US official familiar with the operations in Syria told CNN that it is "very likely" that Turkey will try something soon. The official said it is possible that Ankara begins with a limited incursion to establish Turkish patrol bases on the Syrian side of the border with the aim of launching more ambitious cleaning operations later.

"A response from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) would justify Turkey's narrative that they need to make the area safe for the return of refugees," the official added.

From the perspective of the SDF, led by the Kurds, they feel that any unilateral action by Turkey in Syrian territory is a threat and they must respond.

"Allowing Turkish patrol bases now open the door to permanent occupation and makes it easier for the Turkish army to attack the SDF later," the official said.

In a scathing statement on Monday, the SDF accused the United States of "not fulfilling its commitments" to avoid a military escalation.

"This Turkish military operation in the north and east of Syria will have a great negative impact on our war against ISIS and will destroy all the stability that has been achieved in recent years," the SDF said in a statement.

"We in the Syrian Democratic Forces will not hesitate for a moment to defend ourselves," the statement continues, adding that they would ask their allies to help defend against "Turkish aggression."

Turkey's presidential spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, tweeted Monday that "we have no interest in anyone's territory."

He said that the two objectives of safe areas in Syria are to eliminate "terrorist elements to ensure the security of our border and the safe return of refugees."

Turkey plans to relocate two million Syrians in a safe 30-kilometer wide area in Syria, which extends from the Euphrates River to the Iraqi border, including Manbij, according to Anadolu.

Ryan Browne, Aysegul Savur, Sharif Paget, Jennifer Hauser, Jonny Hallam, Kevin Bohn, Jen Deaton, Isil Sariyuce, Sara Mazloumsaki, Ben Wedeman and Kareem Khadder contributed to this report.

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