Lavrov: Russia, Turkey To Coordinate In Syria After US Withdrawal
By RFE RL
(RFE/RL) — Turkey and Russia have agreed to coordinate “on the ground” in Syria following a planned U.S. troop withdrawal, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said following a meeting with Turkish officials in Moscow.
“Certainly, we gave special attention to the new circumstances that arose in connection with the troops withdrawal announced by the United States,” Lavrov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency on December 29.
Turkey and Russia have the common aim of clearing Syria of all terror organizations, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said after the talks, state-owned Anadolu news agency reported.
Cavusoglu also said Turkey would continue to be in close cooperation with Iran and Russia on Syria and regional issues, according to Anadolu.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said that Washington would withdraw the roughly 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria, upending a pillar of U.S. policy in the Middle East and alarming U.S. allies.
