Russia, Turkey to discuss Syrian crisis

By Azernews

By Gunay Hasanova

Chief of General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Army General Valery Gerasimov will discuss with his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar the prospects for resolving the Syrian crisis during a working visit on September 15, said the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Major-General Igor Konashenkov, reports Day.Az with the reference to RIA Novosti.

The Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Army General Valery Gerasimov will pay a working visit to Turkey on September 15, he said.

“He will meet with his Turkish counterpart, Gen. Hulusi Akar in Ankara to discuss the current situation and the prospects for resolving the crisis in the Syrian Arab Republic,” Konashenkov added.

Moreover, he noted that during the talks, leaders of the two countries' general staff of the Armed Forces will also touch upon the prospects of bilateral military cooperation.

 Previously, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Turkey asked Russia for a military ground support as part of the ‘Shield of the Euphrates’ operation in Syria.

In turn, Erdogan during the G20 summit said that Turkey and Russia are holding talks to achieve a ceasefire for Syria’s Aleppo. The Turkish president added that achieving a ceasefire in Aleppo is one of the most important issues for Turkey and Russia.

On August 24 morning, the Turkish Air Force with the support of the coalition aircraft launched an operation to liberate the city of Jarabulus from the IS militants in northern Syria, near Aleppo city.

The operation was carried out under the name “Shield of the Euphrates.” Jarabulus is located 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the Turkish-Syrian border.

Ankara announced that this operation will continue until the PYD militants are completely liquidated.

Syria has been suffering from an armed conflict since March 2011, which, according to the UN, has so far claimed over 500,000 lives.

 Militants from various armed groups are confronting the Syrian government troops. The “Islamic State” (IS, ISIL, ISIS or Daesh), the YPG and the PYD are the most active terrorist groups in Syria.