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Russia hopes Turkey won't undertake reckless actions in Syria — diplomat

The Russian envoy said Turkey’s actions were unexpected to the US, though Washington chose not to criticise the ally

UN, December 9. /TASS/. Russia hopes the reaction of members of the UN Security Council to Turkey's deployment of the military in Iraq will "cool hot minds in Ankara" and they will not undertake new reckless activities, including in Syria, Russia's Ambassador to UN Vitaly Churkin told reporters after the closed meeting of the Security Council.

"We hope the concern, expressed by the UN secretary general and some members of the Security Council during the meeting we have initiated will cool down the hot minds in Ankara and that they will settle the situation in Iraq the way it will satisfy the Iraqi government," the diplomat said, adding Russia hopes after that Turkey "will not undertake any new reckless actions, including in Syria's territory."

The Russian envoy said Turkey’s actions were unexpected to the US, though Washington chose not to criticise the ally. He said he came to this conclusion as he visited Washington in a delegation of the UN Security Council members’ ambassadors. The diplomats had a meeting with US President Barack Obama and visited a briefing at Pentagon.

"Though, of course, they cannot in our presence criticise their ally - Turkey, but it was clear that in fact they were not happy with the actions Turkey had undertaken. I have come to the conclusion those actions were unexpected for the US, which is strange in fact, which once again proves Turkey is an unpredictable player, which may undertake actions, which may not only cause protest among the Iraqis but which may bewilder the US"

He said the situation around Turkey’s deployment of the military in Iraq is worrying "for several reasons."

"It reveals several major drawbacks in actions of the international community in fighting terrorists in the territories of Syria and Iraq," the Russian ambassador said. He stressed the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group (outlawed in Russia), which includes Turkey, "is not fully legal," as it acts on approval of the government of Iraq, but has not received a consent from Syria.

The diplomat said Russia and the US are drafting jointly the UN Security Council resolution on fighting terrorism, which will focus on the threat from IS and oil trade with extremists. The document may be adopted at a meeting on December 18, which will be chaired by the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.

"It will be a vast, overwhelming resolution on fighting terrorism, which will build up greatly the potential of the Security Council in fighting the terrorist threat," the diplomat said. "We are quite sure the resolution will be ready by December 18."

In the document, he said, IS will be highlighted as a separate terrorist movement - till now the Security Council has considered the group a branch of al-Qaeda. Besides, the document will increase control over fulfilment of resolution 2199, adopted in February, which bans trade with terrorists of oil and cultural heritage objects.