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Turkey summons Russian envoy after soldier shot by PKK/PYD

Ersin Çelik
12:44 - 23/03/2017 Thursday
Update: 19:22 - 24/03/2017 Friday
REUTERS
Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hüseyin Müftüoğlu
Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hüseyin Müftüoğlu

Turkey summoned the Russian charge d'affaires to convey its unease after a Turkish soldier was martyred by sniper fire from PKK/PYD territories in Syria where Russian forces are active, Turkey's foreign ministry spokesman said on Thursday.



The Turkish military fired into the northwestern Syrian border region of Afrin on Wednesday, an area contolled by the terrorist YPG militia, after the soldier was martyred by cross-border fire. The YPG said Russian forces headed to the area.



Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Hüseyin Müftüoğlu said Turkey expects Russia to respect its sensitivities and described pictures which circulated online of Russian soldiers with PKK/PYD terrorists as "unpleasant". The charge d'affaires was summoned on Wednesday, he said.



At a briefing with journalists, he also said the inclusion of YPG terrorists in the U.S.-led operation to take Raqqa from Daesh was unacceptable. Turkish forces were ready to take part in collaboration with the U.S.-led coalition, he said.







#Turkey
#Russia
#Ministry of Foreign Affairs
#Syria
7 years ago