Kremlin asks Erdogan to clarify ‘anti-Assad’ goals in Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statement that his goal in Syria was to end the rule of Bashar Assad has caused consternation in the Kremlin, with officials saying it contradicted previous assurances and was out of sync with Moscow’s take on the situation.


"The statement was indeed news, this is a very serious statement. [It] is in discord with the previous [statements] in general and with our understanding of the situation," Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday.

"We hope that in the near future there will be explanations on this from our Turkish partners," he said, adding that Russia is the only country whose armed forces are in Syria on a legitimate basis – at the direct request of the Syrian authorities.

Answering a question as to whether Erdogan’s comments would affect the relations between Moscow and Ankara, Peskov stressed that Turkey is Moscow's partner and therefore will have to explain its stance before the Russian authorities make any judgments.

"Before making any judgments, we expect that this position will be clarified," Peskov said.

President Erdogan and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, discussed the situation in Syria in a telephone call on Wednesday, the Kremlin’s press service reported.

“There was an extensive exchange of opinions concerning the Syrian question, including the situation in Aleppo,” the service said in a statement.

“A number of urgent issues regarding Russia-Turkey relations have been raised, including upcoming bilateral contacts on various levels.”

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on whether Erdogan had clarified his earlier statement about Syrian President Bashar Assad.
 [rt.com]
30/11/16