The issue for Russia is that even though Putin opposes the Islamic State as a whole, especially after ISIS claimed it brought down the Russian flight that was over Egypt, Russia actually supports Bashar al-Assad, who is the Syrian leader. Turkey has insisted it won’t apologize for the shoot-down, which also led Russian Federation to slap a package of new sanctions against Turkish products.
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U.S. President Barack Obama said Tuesday that while Turkey has a right to defend itself and its sovereignly, the Turks and Russians should cool down and remember that they have a common enemy – Islamic State. “That is ISIL”, said Obama, adding that he wants to make sure all parties focus on that threat.
“We have been telling our Russian friends that their bombardments against civilians on our border is creating new waves of refugees which do not go to Russia or to any other country – but coming to Turkey”, he said.
Obama, who took a conciliatory tone in a meeting Monday with Putin, said Tuesday he believed Moscow would soon realise the cost of its military intervention in support of Assad outweighed the benefits.
The former Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979 to prop up a pro-Moscow government, but had to withdraw a decade later after failing to beat Afghan guerrillas.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, meanwhile, called earlier today for the opening of communication channels between Turkey and Russian Federation to prevent further incidents like the downing of the warplane.
Pro-Islamist demonstrators, holding a defaced poster of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, shout slogans during an anti-Russian protest in Istanbul, Turkey on November 27, 2015.
The US president said the next step in diplomatic efforts in Vienna was to include moderate opposition groups – “some of which, frankly, you know, we don’t have a lot in common with, but do represent significant factions inside of Syria”.
At a briefing to journalists in Moscow, deputy defence minister Anatoly Antonov said Turkey was the biggest buyer of “stolen” oil from Syria and Iraq. We are not using the same language as them…
However, Mr Obama said he expected Russian Federation would eventually be convinced of the need for Mr Assad to leave power. It also announced that almost 50 Russian universities were suspending their cooperation agreements with Turkish counterparts.
Referring to the Bayır-Bucak Turkmens, Erdoğan said: “They are Turkish descendants”.
He told reporters he wanted a diplomatic resolution that could contribute to peace.
“All of this is relevant for Turkey’s reassurance”, he said.
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The president lauded the French people for hosting a major worldwide climate conference this week, calling it a “remarkable display of resolve” two weeks after the terror attacks that rocked Paris and left 130 people dead.
