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Ankara doing everything to prevent militant attacks on Russia’s Hmeimim base

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also touched upon Washington’s plans to withdraw troops from Syria,saying it was "still unclear how this process will be carried out"
Hmeimim military base AP Photo
Hmeimim military base
© AP Photo

SOCHI, February 14. /TASS/. Ankara has been doing everything possible to prevent militants from attacking Russia’s Hmeimim military base in Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Thursday.

"We have been making every possible effort to prevent attacks on the Hmeimim military base, the Russian military base. Our militaries have been coordinating their activities in this regard," Erdogan pointed out. According to him, Turkey’s unmanned aerial vehicles "haven’t detected any heavy equipment in the area."

When speaking about efforts to establish a constitutional committee in Syria, Erdogan pointed out that the issue was yet to be resolved.

The Turkish president also touched upon Washington’s plans to withdraw troops from Syria. "The United States has said it will start pulling troops out of the country. It is a very important test. It is still unclear how this process will be carried out. I believe that in this connection, we should work together," he said. The Turkish leader added that the conclusion was quite obvious but "in reality, it hasn’t become clear yet."

In addition, in Erdogan’s words, it is crucial to eliminate terrorist units in Syria. "There will be no peace unless they are eliminated from areas east of the Euphrates River and Manbij and Syria’s legitimate authorities take control of these areas," Erdogan noted.

Besides, he said that Turkey and Russia should coordinate their efforts to create a security zone.