PARIS — France denied claims of a military buildup against Turkish forces in Syria, scrambling Friday to calm tensions with NATO ally Turkey that threaten to further aggravate the Syria war. French President Emmanuel Macron raised Turkey’s ire by meeting in Paris with Syrian rebels, including Kurdish fighters that Turkey considers terrorists. The Kurdish-Arab town is under threat of a Turkish military operation that has already squeezed the rebels out of nearby towns. Turkey’s military argues Manbij is controlled by Syrian Kurdish militiamen it views as an extension of Kurdish insurgents inside Turkey. France has led airstrikes on Syria as part of the anti-IS coalition and is believed to have special forces in Syria, but has not sent ground troops.

Source: National Post March 30, 2018 08:43 UTC