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Russia is prepared to promote dialogue between Damascus, Kurds on Turkish border

Earlier in the day, Ankara declared the start of a military operation, which began with air strikes against Kurdish forces

MOSCOW, October 9. /TASS/. Russia is prepared to promote a dialogue between Damascus and Kurdish communities on the border with Turkey in order to avoid an escalation of the conflict in this area, the chairman of the Federation Council’s international affairs committee, Konstantin Kosachyov, told TASS.

"I am certain that the accumulated concerns may be lifted not by means of military operations, but by establishing a lasting peace in sovereign and territorially integral Syria, which requires, first and foremost, a dialogue between Damascus and Kurdish communities on the border with Turkey. We are prepared to promote this dialogue by all means and to avoid an escalation of the conflict in this region," Kosachyov said about Turkey’s decision to begin a military operation in Syria.

He pointed out that the operation had already gone beyond the bounds of the plan Turkey and the United States had agreed on for creating a security zone in northeastern Turkey.

"Washington said on Monday the United States would not support or participate in Turkey’s military operation in northern Syria," Kosachyov said.

The Turkish and US military on August 7 agreed on creating a center of joint operations in Syria for implementing a plan for the establishment of a buffer zone in northern Syria. Ankara said that Syrian refugees would be able to return from Turkey there. Also, the buffer zone would serve as a security belt on the Turkish border. On October 1, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Ankara was going to create a security zone east of the Euphrates in Syria on its own, because the desired result had failed to be achieved at negotiations with the US side.

On Wednesday, Ankara declared the start of another military operation codenamed Peace Spring. It began with air strikes against Kurdish forces.