Russian Military Police Patrolling Contact Lines to Prevent Turkey-Syria Encounter

“Russian military police continue to patrol the northwestern border area of Manbij district along the line of contact between the Syrian Arab Republic and Turkish armed forces,” a statement released by the Russian defense ministry read. “Cooperation is organized with the Turkish side,” it added.

Moscow deployed its military police yesterday. It appears that the measure came after coordination with Turkey. 

The Syrian army was sent to the Kurdish-held city on Monday following an agreement between Damascus and the Kurds to check the Turkish advances. 

In a comment on the deployment, the Turkish president said that the Syrian dispatch will not cause a problem. He even said it will be a “positive” move. 

Kobani is another Kurdish-controlled city where the Syrian forces are arriving. 

Russia is increasingly sharpening its role in northern Syria after the US said it removed its forces from the north where they were operating alongside their allies Kurds. 

The Kurdish forces on Monday said they reached an agreement with Moscow on the deployment of the Syrian forces in the areas under their control. Shortly after, the Syrian news agency SANA said units of the Syrian army arrived in Manbij, which could be a target to the Turkish offensive. 

Erdogan announced the anti-Kurdish last Wednesday, a day after Trump removed his forces giving the allied Kurds a sense of betrayal by Washington.