ARIMA, Syria — As three contentious forces are about to converge at the critical city of al-Bab in Syria, Turkey is stirring up conflicts and already setting its sights on the next prize: Manbij.
The Turkish army is currently at the gates of al-Bab, battling Islamic State (IS) forces. The Syrian army is 6 miles to the south, and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are nearby to the east and west.