Turkish, Russian troops share effective ties in Syria: Kremlin
TURKISH and Russian military officials have good relations when it comes to Syria, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said yesterday.
Speaking during a conference focused on the Middle East, Bogdanov evaluated Turkey-Russia ties.
Noting that relations between the two countries have developed effectively on the Syria issue, Bogdanov said: “Our dialogue and joint work continues. This is happening not only at the political level, but also at the military level.”
Bogdanov also noted that Russia’s commanders at their Hemeimeem airbase in Syria’s coastal province of Latakia have “effective and advanced contacts” with Turkish military officials.
Turkey has been the main backer of moderate opposition groups, while Russia has been the main backer of the Bashar Assad regime. Despite supporting opposing sides in the Syrian civil war, Turkey and Russia have cooperated on many diplomatic initiatives for peace and stability seeking to find a political solution in the war-torn country, particularly through the Astana meetings.
Russia joined Syria’s now 10-year conflict in September 2015, when the military regime appeared close to collapse. Moscow has since helped in tipping the balance of power in favor of Assad, whose forces now control much of the country. Hundreds of Russian troops are deployed across Syria and the country also has a military airbase along Syria’s Mediterranean coast. During the past few years, Russian warplanes targeted the areas under the control of the Syrian opposition, initially launching attacks from Hemeimeem in the west of the country.
LAVROV TO ATTEND ANTALYA FORUM
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will attend the Antalya Diplomacy Forum scheduled for next month in Turkey, Bogdanov also said.
Lavrov will hold a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and also attend a ministerial meeting of the Astana format, the platform comprising Iran, Russia, and Turkey on Syria, Mikhail Bogdanov told the meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, a think tank, in Moscow.
“A bilateral meeting with the participation of our minister and a trilateral meeting of foreign ministers-guarantors of the Astana process will be held in Antalya,” he said.