Turkey, US to conduct joint patrols in Syria's Manbij

Turkey and United States will begin "joint patrols" in northern Syria's Manbij to stabilise the region under a roadmap that focuses on the withdrawal of the PKK-affiliated YPG group, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Sunday.

Speaking at a joint news conference with his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dacic in capital Ankara, Cavusoglu said that although there are few days of delay in the schedule, the process "continues without a hitch." 

"We are now entering a joint patrol period," he added.

He said there are no "interruptions" in the military efforts that are being conducted with the US.

Turkey and the US are currently experiencing rocky relations after Washington imposed sanctions on two Turkish ministers when American Pastor Andrew Brunson, who faces terrorism-related charges in Turkey, was not released.

In his remarks, Dacic said Serbia will "never take part in a coalition that would work against Turkey".

The two foreign ministers held the joint news conference following the inauguration of Serbia's honorary consulate in Antalya.

The inauguration ceremony had been attended by Turkey's Ambassador to Belgrade Tanju Bilgic, Serbian Ambassador to Ankara Zoran Markovic, Foreign Ministry's Antalya representative Ambassador Huseyin Avni Aksoy as well as Antalya Governor Munir Karaloglu.

Fikret Ozturk was appointed as the honorary consul.