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Erdogan calls on Russia and US to pull troops out of Syria

Putin and Trump agreed earlier that there is no military solution to the Syrian conflict

ANKARA, November 13. /TASS/. Russia and the US should pull their troops out of Syria following the joint statement adopted by the two countries’ presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, which says that there is no military solution to the Syrian conflict, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said before departing for Russia on Monday.

"It is hard for me to understand such statements. If a military solution cannot help find a way out of the crisis, then those who think so should pull their troops out of Syria," the Turkish leader said, as cited by the Haberturk TV channel.

Putin and Trump adopted a joint statement on Syria on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Vietnam’s Da Nang on November 11. The document says that "the presidents agreed that there is no military solution to the conflict in Syria."

"They confirmed that the ultimate political solution to the conflict must be forged through the Geneva process pursuant to UNSCR [United Nations Security Council Resolution] 2254," the document adds. Putin and Trump "also took note of President Assad’s recent commitment to the Geneva process and constitutional reform and elections as called for under UNSCR 2254."

According to the joint statement, the two leaders "affirmed that these steps must include full implementation of UNSCR 2254, including constitutional reform and free and fair elections under UN supervision, held to the highest international standards of transparency, with all Syrians, including members of the diaspora, eligible to participate."