WASHINGTON – The United States has no plans to withdraw troops stationednear the town of Manbij in northern Syria despite warnings from Turkey toremove its forces immediately, CNN quoted the U.S. Central Command chiefGeneral Joseph Votel as saying.

Pulling U.S. forces from Manbij is “not something we are looking into”, thechannel’s website reported Votel as saying on Sunday during a trip to theMiddle East.

Turkey, which is waging a military offensive against Kurdish YPG fightersin Syria’s northwestern region of Afrin, has repeatedly said it will alsodrive the YPG militia from the mainly Arab town of Manbij, east of Afrin.

The United States has around 2,000 military personnel in northern Syriasupporting an umbrella group of fighters, dominated by the YPG, which droveIslamic State from its Syrian strongholds last year.

Turkey, which considers the YPG to be a terrorist organization, has calledon Washington to end its military support for the group and to pull backfrom the Manbij region where some of its troops are stationed.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Saturday the United States “needsto break its link with (the) terrorist organization and make them droptheir weapons completely. They need to collect the weapons they gave, theyneed to withdraw from Manbij immediately.”