Turkey 'all for' cooperation with Russia on Syria

ANKARA

Turkey is ready to cooperate with Russia on a ceasefire in Syria, Ankara’s foreign minister said Thursday.

“If Russia sincerely wants to cooperate with us [on Syria] for a ceasefire and humanitarian aid, we are all for it,” Mevlut Cavusoglu said. He spoke in the Turkish capital at a joint news conference with his Latvian counterpart, Edgars Rinkevics.

Cavusoglu said Turkey was evaluating these issues with the Russian authorities after the normalization of relations between Ankara and Moscow earlier this summer.

Recalling Russian statements about possible joint action with Turkey on Syria, Cavusoglu said Ankara supported all decisions toward a political solution in the war-torn country.

However, Cavusoglu went on to say the Syrian regime and its supporters were behind recent violations of the U.S./Russia-brokered ceasefire plus obstacles preventing the flow of humanitarian aid.

He accused the Damascus regime and its supporters of continuously using chemical weapons and barrel bombs against the Syrian people over the last five years.

“We need to continue our efforts for a political solution and ceasefire since the last agreement failed to be implemented,” Cavusoglu said.

July 15 coup attempt

Speaking about Turkey’s defeated July 15 coup plot, Cavusoglu said the Turkish people had rebutted a move which would have had implications not only in Turkey but in a broader geography, including Europe.

He thanked Latvia for the solidarity shown during and after the failed coup. “During this period Latvia showed it is a real friend and ally,” Cavusoglu said.

Cavusoglu said Turkey and Latvia were in close cooperation in the fight against terror and in this framework he had informed his counterpart about the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) in Latvia.

Rinkevics expressed Latvia’s support for the democratically elected Turkish government and its president.

“We have received information from the Turkish embassy and we passed them to the relevant authorities in Riga. We received additional information today,” Rinkevics said.

He said Latvia would take necessary measures against the FETO once evidence of its wrongdoings and violations of Latvian law were examined.