Russia and Turkey agree on ‘key’ issues in Syria — Putin

ST PETERSBURG: Moscow and Ankara agree on many key issues regarding Syria, Turkey’s Anadolu Agency (AA) reported Russian President Vladimir Putin as saying.

“As far as Syria is concerned, there are many issues on which we agree with Turkey,” Putin told the executives of the world’s leading news agencies at a meeting at the Constantine Palace on the sidelines of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Putin was responding to a question posed by Anadolu Agency’s deputy directorgeneral and editor-in- chief, Metin Mutanoglu.

“If we did not agree on the key issues, neither a cease-fire nor deescalation zones could have been achieved in Syria,” Putin said.

On May 4, Russia, Turkey and Iran signed a deal in the Kazakh capital, Astana, to establish deescalation zones in the war-torn country.

Putin reiterated his warning against the de- escalation zones turning into a model threatening Syria’s territorial integrity.

“These zones should not become a prototype for the future territorial division in Syria,” he said. “On the contrary, these zones should set an example for protecting Syria’s territorial integrity and for a political dialogue in the future.”

Putin said that Russia was aware of Turkey’s concerns about the terrorist organisation PKK/ PYD and added: “We are careful to carry out a constructive work in this matter.”

Turkey’s National Security Council, the country’s top security body, warned against supporting PKK/ YPG/ PYD saying it went contrary to the notions of friendship and alliance.

“It has been stressed that a policy of supporting the PKK/ PYD/ YPG terror organisation – which is acting under the guise of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) – does not suit (the principles of) friendship and alliance,” it said.

Turkey has long warned against enlisting the ‘help’ of the terrorist group to fight against Daesh in Syria. — Bernama