Syrian Kurdish forces expelled the terrorist of the IS from Manbij in 2016 and now Turkey has demanded the U.S. to make the Kurds to deliver the control of the city to Turkey-backed Syrian rebels.

Turkey is disappointed about U.S. withdrawal from the city despite the deal the two sides signed in 2018 over the pullout of Washington troops from the war-torn state.

Bloomberg wrote that Ankara has prepared itself to conduct a military operation into the city if the Kurds resist quitting the city.

Meanwhile the White House said on Thursday, February 21, that the United States will leave “a small peacekeeping group” of 200 American troops in Syria for a period of time after US pullout.

Trump in December ordered a withdrawal of the 2,000 American troops in Syria, saying they had defeated Islamic State militants there, even as US-backed Syrian forces continued a final push against the group’s last outpost, according to Reuters.

But Trump has been under pressure from multiple advisers to adjust his policy to ensure the protection of Kurdish forces, who supported the fight against Islamic State and who might now be threatened by Turkey, and to serve as a bulwark against Iran’s influence.

“A small peacekeeping group of about 200 will remain in Syria for a period of time,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement.

The decision was announced after Trump spoke by phone to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. A White House statement said the two leaders agreed, regarding Syria, to “continue coordinating on the creation of a potential safe zone.”

A senior administration official said Trump’s decision had been in the works for some time. It was unclear how long the 200 troops would be expected to remain in the area or where exactly they would be deployed.

Reporter’s code: 50101