Manbij is very important to Syria's reconstruction plan, but it is also a strategic location in Turkey's ambition to establish a buffer zone.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on October 17 that it would suspend its military operation in northern Syria for five days in order to allow Kurdish militia to withdraw from the security buffer zones it established. .

The armistice allows the Kurdish militia (YPG) to withdraw from the area along the northern border of Syria, but it could also trigger a "race" between the Syrian government forces and Turkey to control the positions they left behind, including the strategic city Manbij.

The Russian army on October 15 deployed a buffer patrol police between Syria and Turkey forces on the outskirts of Manbij to prevent the two sides from fighting. This is a move that shows Manbji's important strategic position with the warring factions.

After nearly 10 days of Operation Spring Peace, the Turkish army pushed the Kurdish militants away from the border and captured many towns along the border. Turkey is gathering large forces east of the Eupharates River, not far from the Kurdish-controlled city of Manbij since 2016. The pro-Syrian Syrian National Army (SNA) rebel group is also close to the outskirts of the city. .

Located at the center of the northern belt of Syria, Manbji is a strategic control target for most of the combatants by a series of supply routes running through here.

The city has changed hands frequently since the Syrian civil war. Anti-government rebels began to control Manbij in 2012, before being pushed back by Islamic State militants (IS) in 2014. Three years later, the Kurdish militia took over the area after the Islamic State was driven out. .

As a regional economic center, Manbij is adjacent to the M4 motorway, a 120-kilometer trade route that connects the port city of Latakia with Aleppo, Raqqa and the oil-rich Deir Ezzor region to the east.

For the Syrian government, control of this highway will help rebuild the war-torn economy. "The Syrian government has been keeping an eye on Manbij for many years. They see the US withdrawal and Russian support as an opportunity to control it," said Aron Lund, a scholar at the Century Foundation research center.

For Turkey, stationing in Manbij will help prevent the Kurdish militia from appearing along the Eupharates River, and separate the region of Hassakeh and Qamishli from the Kurds to the city of Aleppo controlled by the Syrian government.

Manbij also plays an important role in Turkey's plan to establish a security buffer zone to drive the Kurds from the northern border of Syria, as well as repatriate about 3.6 million Syrian refugees.

Manbij city location. Graphics: USA Today.

Erdogan dismissed the warning that sending troops to attack Manbij would cause conflict with Russia and mention Moscow's "positive approach". Marwan Kabalan, director of the Arab Policy and Research Center, said that Russia could reach an agreement with Turkey to promote Kurdish withdrawal, creating conditions for Syrian government forces and the Russian military police to control the area. this area.

According to analysts, the Manbij approach plays an important role in the effort to establish a security buffer zone and connect with the areas Turkey acquired during previous military operations in northern Syria.

"If Kobane and Manbij are captured, Turkey can connect all its controlled territories in northern Syra together, forming a border area as President Erdogan desires," Lund said. consider.

With such conflicts of interest, Manbij could become a scorching hot spot between Syria and Turkey, making the conflict in the Middle East country even more complicated, experts said.