Russia revealed differences exist between it and the Turkish administration over the situation in Syria. However, it considered that the level of relations between them allows them to be resolved through “difficult and sometimes long negotiations” and not through confrontation.
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a press statement quoted by the website of the channel “Russia Today”: “There are differences between Russia and Turkey on the situation in Syria.” He explained that the differences with the Turkish administration on Syria were previously stopped and reduced as soon as an agreement was signed in Sochi. He noted that after that Russian officials, as well as the head of the Turkish administration, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, stated their dissatisfaction with the implementation of the agreement that was signed.
“The level of our relations and our political wisdom allow us to resolve these differences, not through confrontation, but through difficult and sometimes lengthy negotiations, but nevertheless through negotiations,” he said.
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In similar news, the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, which is close to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), quoted, on Monday, sources it described as “knowledgeable” that the USA made an offer to Ankara to stop the military escalation, in exchange for dispelling security concerns.
The newspaper pointed out that the American offer is to abandon the idea of the Turkish administration launching a new ground military aggression on northern Syria in exchange for the withdrawal of the SDF militias to a distance of 30 kilometres from the Syrian-Turkish border.
The newspaper revealed that the U.S. ambassador in Ankara, Jeff Flake, made the offer in a meeting with the Turkish administration’s defense minister, Hulusi Akar, a few days ago.
The U.S. initiative coincides with Russia’s proposal to deploy forces from the Fifth Corps, which is part of the Syrian Arab Army, in the border strip areas and the full return of the Syrian competent authorities and state institutions to those areas, which the SDF rejected, stressing its readiness to face any Turkish attack, according to opposition media websites.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
