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Kremlin calls on Turkey to refrain from steps impeding political settlement in Syria

At a meeting of the CIS heads of state last week, President Vladimir Putin said he doubted that Turkey would be able to contain Islamic State militants while conducting a military operation in Syria

RIYADH, October 14. /TASS/. The Kremlin calls on Turkey to act in keeping with the situation in northeastern Syria and refrain from steps that can frustrate political settlement, Russian president’s aide Yuri Ushakov said on Monday.

"What matters most of all is that the Turks act in keeping with the situation and that their actions pose no problems for what is most important - political settlement in Syria. This is what is most important for us," he said.

Touching on the talks with the Saudi leadership, Ushakov noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud would discuss the situation in Syria in detail during dinner. "Now (Turkey’s operation in Syria) was discussed briefly. But we will have time at dinner with the Crown Prince. Probably, it will be discussed more thoroughly then," he added.

At a meeting of the CIS heads of state last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he doubted that Turkey would be able to contain Islamic State (a terrorist organization outlawed in Russia) militants while conducting a military operation in Syria. "There are areas in northern Syria where Islamic State militants are concentrated. Until now Kurdish units have been keeping an eye on them. Now that the Turkish army is entering these regions, the Kurds a leaving these camps and they (Islamic State militants) can simply break free. I am not sure that the Turkish army can take control over this, or how soon it can do it," Putin said, adding that, according to the Russian General Staff’s intelligence department, the region is home to "hundreds and thousands of militants.".