TURKEY, RUSSIA CAN TACKLE ESCALATION, ERDOGAN SAYS

ANKARA/MOSCOW Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday Turkey and Russia should resolve differences over the conflict in Syria’s Idlib without anger, after a deadly flare-up in violence challenged the fragile cooperation between Moscow and Ankara.

The two countries support opposing sides in Syria’s nearly nine-year war, as well as in Libya’s escalating conflict, but have worked together to contain some of the bloodshed and have forged close defence ties in recent years.

An attack by Russian-backed Syrian government forces that killed eight Turkish military personnel on Monday posed the biggest challenge to Russian-turkish ties since their 2018 deal to stem fighting in Syria’s northwest Idlib region.

Erdogan told Russian forces on Monday there to “stand aside” while Turkey struck dozens of targets in retaliation. Moscow and Ankara then argued about whether Turkey had told Russia it was sending reinforcements.

“There is no need for us to be engaged in a conflict or a serious contradiction with Russia at this stage,” Erdogan said. “We will of course sit down and discuss everything. Not with anger, though.”

Russia supports President Bashar alassad in the war in Syria while Turkey backs rebels who once aimed to topple him.

Turkey, which already hosts 3.6 million refugees, fears Russian air strikes and a recent northward surge by Syrian troops threaten to send millions more refugees towards its border.