Right after Manbij was taken from ISIL on Aug. 12, Turkey asked the U.S. to keep its promise. The Pentagon said it would but just needed some time. However, when Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT) told the prime minister and president that the YPG units were instead advancing to the town of Jarablus near the Turkish border, Ankara decided to act on a plan already agreed on with the U.S., launching an operation to protect and support the rebel Free Syria Army (FSA) militia to take Jarablus from ISIL. They did it on the same day, Aug. 24.