Putin, Erdogan agree to cooperate in Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Sochi summit between Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have been dealt by large numbers of media outlets due to the importance of the issues the presidents discussed.
On August 5, the leaders held a lengthy meeting in Russia’s Sochi and discussed Syrian crisis, energy and Ukrainian war.
The meeting has taken its place within the media outlets where they accorded great importance to the meeting due to the importance of the issues discussed.
The New York Times said that the two sides [Putin and Erdogan] had agreed on working together in Syria and Libya, conflict areas where they have backed opposing sides.
“However, it did not specify how, and there was no indication that Mr. Putin, who has backed the Syrian government through its long civil war, had given a green light for Mr. Erdogan to attack Kurdish groups that Turkey considers terrorists, based just across its southern border with Syria,” the newspaper added.
The Middle East Online cited the Kremlin as saying that Turkey has “legitimate security concerns” over Syria and that it will take them into account ahead of a meeting between Russian President Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but the Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters “it was important to avoid actions that could jeopardise Syria’s territorial and political integrity.”
The National Interest indicated that Putin and Raisi have each opposed Erdogan’s plans, warning that a Turkish incursion into Syria could “destabilize the country, strengthen Islamist militants in the north, and undermine the government of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.”
“During the Tehran meeting, Erdogan vowed that Ankara would eradicate the evil groups that target our national security from Syria, but did not immediately take action following the voicing of Raisi and Putin’s concerns,” it said.
Associated Press said that “Turkey would like Moscow to green-light a Turkish operation into northern Syria against Kurdish militants whom Turkey considers terrorists,” in reference to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
It added that the two leaders underlined the need for “close cooperation and coordination in the fight against all terrorist organizations.”
Al-Monitor commented on the meeting saying “there was no word of a green light for Turkey’s planned military intervention against US-backed Kurdish forces in northeast Syria.”
It said that “Russian official say any such move would further destabilize Syria. Iran, the Assad regime’s other main backer, is also against an expansion of Turkey’s already substantial occupation of Syria.”
While Globe Echo said that Russian President Vladimir Putin called on his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan “to coordinate with the regime of President Bashar al-Assad to solve the Syrian crisis.”
“Erdogan said that Putin told him that ‘the solution to the Syrian crisis would be better in cooperation with the regime of Bashar al-Assad,’ and that he replied that ‘the Turkish intelligence service is already dealing with these issues with the Syrian intelligence, but the point is to get results.'”
The China state-affiliated media CGTN pointed out that Even if Putin and Erdogan reach a deal, and Russia turns a blind eye to a potential Turkish military operation into Syria, “Turkey will have to get approval from Washington to launch an assault on the YPG,” a main military formation within the SDF that Ankara sees as a terrorist organization.
It indicated that “Washington sees it [YPG] as a crucial ally in the fight against ISIL militants. That is why Erdogan seeks to balance Turkish pragmatic relations with Moscow, along with its US alliance.”