There is no basis for dramatic statements after Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry failed to strike a deal on Syria, Interfax news agency quoted a source at the Russian foreign ministry as saying on Monday.
Advertisement
But the USA has always been wary on the military coordination part of the deal, because it says Russian Federation has mainly targeted moderate, us -backed opposition groups in a bid to prop up Assad. “There are no reasons for such dramatic statements as those being made by some (U.S.) State Department sources, that nothing has been achieved”.
The meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hangzhou, China, was the first between Obama and Erdogan since the Turkish leader survived the attempted coup.
As for his participation in the presidential election in Russian Federation in 2018, Putin said: “I have not decided anything for myself yet”.
While Obama looks on intently, Erdogan can be seen engrossed in a chat with his newfound friend Vladimir Putin, the Russian President.
Putin said it was premature to give any details about the terms of a potential agreement, but said he felt a deal was really close.
Obama said he was inspired by the Turkish people’s response to the coup.
Obama said the aim was to reach “meaningful, serious, verifiable cessations of hostilities in Syria”. Syrian rebel groups have worked alongside al-Nusra Front, which is now known as Jabhat Fateh al-sham or the Syria Conquest Front.
Erdogan said there should be no distinction between “good terrorists” and bad ones.
“Obama is still much more respected in Ankara” than other senior US officials, said Merve Tahiroglu, a research associate focusing on Turkey at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
Beyond Aleppo, Russia and the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad have continued to refuse to allow United Nations humanitarian aid convoys to enter more than a dozen besieged towns and cities held by various rebel forces.
Their discussion came hours after top USA and Russian diplomats failed to seal a deal aimed at providing access to humanitarian aid for thousands of civilians in the war-torn country.
“We discussed ways in which we can further cooperate in that regard”, Obama said after meeting with Erdogan, who survived a failed military coup and has been cracking down on suspected instigators. Kerry said the USA wanted a deal with the best chance for survival.
Advertisement
“The bottom line is that we don’t have a stronger partner anywhere in the world than the United Kingdom”, Obama said. “And despite the turbulence of political events over the last several months, we have every intention to making sure that that continues”. The Kurds are the most effective US -backed anti-IS force, but the Turks consider them to be terrorists.
