ZCZC
BFF-19
SYRIA-CONFLICT-TURKEY-RUSSIA
Turkey refuses Russian ‘excuse’ over Syria strikes
ANKARA, June 14, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Turkey’s foreign minister on Friday said
Ankara did not accept Russia’s “excuse” that Syria would not listen to Moscow
and stop regime strikes in Idlib province.
“In Syria, who are the regime’s guarantors? Russia and Iran,” Mevlut
Cavusoglu told state news agency Anadolu in a televised interview.
“Thus we do not accept the excuse that ‘we cannot make ourselves listened
to by the regime’,” he said.
Turkey and Russia have worked closely to find a political solution under
the Astana process to the eight-year conflict despite being on opposing sides
of the war.
While Ankara has called for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster and
backed opposition fighters, Moscow has provided support to the Damascus
regime.
Turkey, as part of the Astana talks, is the guarantor for Syrian rebels.
Cavusoglu said there had been “no issues” from the moderate opposition.
But Damascus had sent radical groups to Idlib from Aleppo, East Ghouta and
Hama with their weapons, the minister charged.
“We knew in the future after other areas had been captured, the regime
would attack Idlib using the excuse of the radical groups’ presence after
sending them there.”
There was disagreement over whether a ceasefire had been secured in Idlib
this week after Moscow’s announcement on Wednesday. The following day
Cavusoglu said a complete ceasefire had not been secured in the northwestern
province.
Idlib is intended to be protected from a major regime assault under a
buffer zone deal agreed by Russia and Turkey in September but it was never
fully implemented. In recent weeks, hundreds have been killed after increased
bombardment by Damascus and Moscow in the province which is home to three
million people.
Ankara says Turkish soldiers have also been wounded in two separate
incidents in May and again on Thursday in deliberate attacks by the regime on
Turkish observation posts in Idlib.
Russia and Turkey made conflicting claims over Thursday’s attack with
Moscow claiming it was the work of “terrorists” and that it had responded
with air strikes.
Turkey’s defence ministry denied the claim, saying incorrect “press
reports” that it provided coordinates to the Russians “do not reflect the
reality”.
BSS/AFP/RY/1655 hrs