MOSCOW, December 12. /TASS/. Russia has continued efforts to talk Turkey out of launching a ground operation in Syria and dialogue here has turned out to be a success, Russian Presidential Envoy for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told reporters on Monday.

"[This] Dialogue is ongoing. No ground operation has been launched yet, which means there has been a positive result already. We will press on," the senior Russian diplomat noted.

Asked whether Moscow has been dissuading Ankara from conducting a ground operation, Bogdanov said, "Naturally so."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier announced plans to carry out a ground-based operation in northern Syria following the air raids that Turkey began there on November 20. The air operation involved more than 50 aircraft and 20 drones. According to Turkey’s top brass, terrorist strongholds, their depots and caches were destroyed during the course of the operation, with hundreds of militants killed.