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Conflict in Syria

Kremlin highlights contacts aimed at resolving Syrian crisis continue at various levels

The Kremlin comments on reports about the Turkish Foreign Ministry's decision to summon Russian and Iranian ambassadors over ceasefire violations

© AP Photo/Julio Cortez

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Turkey summons Russian ambassador over ceasefire violation in Syria’s Idlib — source

MOSCOW, January 11. /TASS/. Contacts aimed at finding a political solution to the Syrian crisis will continue at various levels, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists commenting on reports about the Russian and Iranian ambassadors being summoned to the Turkish Foreign Ministry over ceasefire violations in the Idlib de-escalation zone allegedly committed by Damascus’ forces.

"The implementation of the agreement on de-escalation zones and the launch of political settlement process, including preparations for the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi, require maintaining contacts at various levels - between experts, high-ranking officials and other participants. These contacts have been going on, and close dialogue will continue," Peskov noted.

On January 9, news broke that the Turkish Foreign Ministry had summoned the Russian and Iranian ambassadors claiming that Syrian government forces had "violated the ceasefire in the Idlib de-escalation zone." According to a Turkish diplomatic source, the ministry "voiced its reaction and concerns in this regard, also asking them to convey the information to the [Syrian] regime in order to make it stop such actions." The Russian embassy in Ankara did not issue any comments.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu alleged earlier that Syria’s government forces had been delivering strikes on the units of the so-called opposition in the Idlib province "under the guise of fighting terrorists."

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