Middle East
17:59, 14-May-2019
Erdogan accuses Syria regime of undermining Turkey-Russia deal
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the Syrian regime of "seeking to sabotage" Ankara's relationship with Russia through its latest offensive in Idlib on Monday.
Clashes in the northwest of the war-torn country have killed at least 42 fighters in 24 hours, a monitor said Monday, and the regime bombardment on the region has devastated health services.
In turn, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar and his Russian counterpart discussed by phone developments in Syria's Idlib province and measures to reduce tension in the area, the Turkish Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) greets Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during their joint press conference at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, April 8, 2019. /VCG Photo
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) greets Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during their joint press conference at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, April 8, 2019. /VCG Photo
Erdogan told his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, during a phone call late on Monday that the offensive by President Bashar Assad's forces "sought to sabotage Turkish-Russian cooperation," according to Fahrettin Altun, communications director at the Turkish presidency, on Twitter.
Russia and Turkey are on opposing sides of the conflict, with Moscow strongly supporting Assad, while Ankara has called for his ouster and supported Syrian rebels in the civil war since it began in 2011.
However, Turkey and Russia have worked closely, along with Iran, to find a political solution to the conflict.
Smoke billows following reported shelling around the village of al-Muntar on the southern edges of the rebel-held Idlib province, May 12, 2019. /VCG Photo
Smoke billows following reported shelling around the village of al-Muntar on the southern edges of the rebel-held Idlib province, May 12, 2019. /VCG Photo
Erdogan lamented that “the regime's cease-fire violations targeting the Idlib de-escalation zone over the last two weeks have reached an alarming dimension.”
He said it was impossible to explain it as a counter-terror effort given the number of casualties and damage to health services.
The Turkish leader also warned that the attacks risked undermining the fate of the political process in Syria.
(Cover: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, April 8, 2019. /VCG Photo)
Source(s): AFP
,Reuters