Putin defies Erdogan in Syria

Moscow Times newspaper quoted a senior Turkish official that Russia puts pressure on Turkey to agree on an attack on Idlib. The newspaper said the planned US withdrawal from Syria was fueling tension between Russia and Turkey over control of a key region in the Middle East after the departure of US troops.

14 February, 2019 10:17

NEWS DESK

A senior Turkish official, told the Moscow Times "Russia puts pressure on Turkey to agree on an attack on the city of Idlib, seized by mercenaries linked to al-Qaeda and supported by Erdogan last month."

At the same time, the Kremlin is opposed to Turkey's attempt to establish a so-called "buffer zone" inside Syria to counter Kurdish fighters.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday

"Russia will do everything to help the regime government and its armed forces to resolve issues related to the liberation of their lands.

The newspaper added that the issue is likely to dominate Syrian talks on Thursday between President Vladimir Putin, his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian leader Hassan Rohani in the Russian resort of Sochi on the Black Sea.

The newspaper said this was their first meeting since US President Donald Trump announced in December that he would withdraw about 2,000 US troops from Syria, according to the newspaper is a step that would change the balance of power on the ground.

A.H

ANHA