Turkey Calls on Russia to Maintain Dialogue on Syria Despite Differences

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Russian and Turkish positions regarding Syria's future should not damage the development of bilateral ties.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Turkey and Russia must seek to maintain dialogue on the issue of Syrian settlement despite persisting differences, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told Sputnik.

"I believe that we need to concentrate on finding solutions to the problem… We may have differences of opinion on certain issues, but we must maintain the dialogue open even on them, using all diplomatic means available to us," Cavusoglu said in an interview ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin visit to Turkey.

He added that Russian and Turkish positions regarding Syria's future should not damage the development of bilateral ties.

Russia has been conducting an aerial campaign against terrorists in Syria since September 30, 2015, at Syrian President Bashar Assad's request.

On August 24, the Euphrates Shield operation was launched by the Turkish army with support of US-led coalition aircraft to clear the Syrian border town of Jarabulus and the surrounding area of the Islamic State jihadist group, outlawed in Russia and many other countries. Following the move, Syrian Kurds and Damascus accused Ankara of violating Syria's territorial integrity.

Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with opposition factions and Islamist terrorist groups such as Islamic State and the Nusra Front, now known as Jabhat Fatah al Sham, both outlawed in Russia, fighting the Syrian Army.