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No agreements on Erdogan-Assad meeting in Russia at present: Kremlin

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
23 Nov 2022 22:45
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The Kremlin confirmed today that nothing has been planned yet with regards to such a meeting.

Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) talks with Syria's President Bashar al-Assad during their meeting in Istanbul, June 7, 2010 (Archive)

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that for the meantime, there are no current agreements on arranging a meeting between Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar Assad in Russian territory.

But theoretically, the possibility remains that such meeting takes place.

"Theoretically this is possible, but there are no agreements on this issue at the moment," Peskov said.

The statements were delivered in response to rumors that a meeting between Erdogan and Assad may take place in Russia with the mediation of Russian President Putin.

According to the rumors, Erdogan stated his willingness to meet with Assad if the conditions are favorable.

The rumor was spread by a columnist close to government circles of the Turkish Hürriyet.

But the Kremlin's statements confirm that nothing has been planned yet with regards to such a meeting.

Turkey announced earlier this month the launch of "Operation Claw-Sword" offensive with air raids targeting the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in both Iraq and Syria

The raids come days after Ankara accused the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) of being behind the Istanbul attack, which resulted in the death of six people, which the movement categorically denied.

Since Sunday, Turkey has been carrying out a series of strikes in northern Syria, justifying the violation of Syria's territorial integrity and domestic security under the pretext of targeting specific Kurdish-led militia bases.

Earlier today, Erdogan announced that the airstrikes against Kurdish militants were "only the beginning."

In an address to his party's Parliament members, Erdogan stated that Turkey will initiate a ground operation in northern Syria in time, adding that the country is set on securing its border more than ever by establishing a "security corridor" without violating the territorial integrity of Syria and Iraq.

"We are continuing the air operation and will come down hard on the terrorists from land at the most convenient time for us," he said.

"We have formed part of this corridor (and) will take care of it starting with places such as Tal Rifaat, Manbij and Ayn al-Arab (Kobani), which are the sources of trouble."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also announced that Turkey has the right to take care of its own problems in northern Syria, while claiming that the Turkish operations will ensure the territorial integrity of Iraq and Syria, asking Syria and Iraq not to feel unease with the operations, Reuters reported.

Despite claiming the territorial integrity will be untouched, the Turkish President said Turkey will "begin land operation at most convenient time for us," stressing that "we are now more determined than ever to secure our southern border."

Shortly after these statements were issued, Russia's special presidential envoy for Syria, Alexander Lavrentyev, told reporters on Wednesday following the 19th round of the Astana talks on Syria, that Russia is receiving indications from Ankara and Damascus about being open to making steps towards one another and about hopes for a Syrian-Turkish rapprochement.

"We hope that we will gradually witness a certain Syrian-Turkish rapprochement, this is simply necessary because these are two neighboring states that should live in friendship. I think that the signals that we have regarding both Turkey and Syria's readiness to take certain steps towards each other, these are steps in the right direction, which will prevent such tragic incidents related to the death of civilians," Lavrentyev said.

Moscow believes the Kurds were "given the go-ahead" to carry out a terrorist attack in Istanbul, he added.

"We cannot say that these terrorist attacks, behind which, as our Turkish partners told us, is the PKK, are some kind of initiative on the part of this structure. Probably, after all, some kind of go-ahead was given to them," he said at a press conference.