On December 19, Jin Shi Data reported that a Turkish Ministry of Defense official said on Thursday that Turkey and the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) did not reach a ceasefire protocol in northern Syria, contrary to the statement made by the U.S. The official also said that Turkey believes that the Turkish-supported Syrian National Army (SNA) will 'liberate' the areas in northern Syria that are currently occupied by the Kurdish Workers' Party (YPG) militia. SDF is an ally of the U.S. in the fight against ISIS. The Turkish government considers YPG as a branch of the Kurdish Workers' Party. Kurdish Workers' Party militants have been fighting against the Turkish government for 40 years.

The US-Turkey protocol ensures the safe withdrawal of SDF forces from Manbij. Turkish opposition forces have seized control of Manbij, and Erdogan welcomes the clearance of Kurdish armed elements. The SDF has been in control of Manbij, but has recently been engaged in battles with the SNA and Turkish-backed organizations. Kurdish armed elements have withdrawn from the city, but still need to withdraw from other areas to the east of Manbij.