Erdogan asks Putin to step aside in Syria
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that during a telephone conversation he asked Russian President Vladimir Putin not to interfere in the conflict between the Turkish Armed Forces and Syrian troops.
"I openly asked Putin, "What are you doing in Idlib? If you want to create a military base, then create one, but get out of Turkey’s way," Erdogan said on Saturday in Istanbul, as cited by Anadolu.
According to Erdogan, the Turkish military in Syria is "at the invitation of the Syrian people" and will remain there as long as the residents of the country support them. Erdogan added that the real goal of the operation in Syria is not Idlib, but Turkish interests.
"Those who achieve what they want in Syria will turn their arms against Turkey," the Turkish leader explained.
Erdogan also said that Trump was trying to find out from him what Russia was doing in Syria. The Turkish leader replied that "there is oil in the al- Qamishli area, but not as much as in the Deir ez-Zor area".
Earlier it was reported that in response to the shelling of its military in Idlib province, Turkey eliminated 76 fighters of the Syrian government army.