Erdogan Supports Syria Strike

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Ankara positively assesses the attacks of the United States, Britain and France on the Syrian territory.

He added that the Turkish side were monitoring the situation in Syria and considers the actions of the Western countries to be correct, because “the chemical attack cannot be left without punishment.”

“Weapons kill. And chemicals many times more. In Syria, for the peace and tranquility of the people, it is necessary to take a unified position against the regime, against ISIS, and against other terrorists,” President Erdogan stated.

He also noted that the Turkish side is for reducing the escalation in Russian-American relations.

Earlier, Erdogan had a telephone conversation with British Prime Minister Theresa May. During the conversation, she shared with Erdogan details of the operation of the British armed forces in Syria.

During the conversation, Erdogan stressed that Turkey "from the very beginning openly condemned the use of chemical weapons in Syria." At the same time, the head of the Turkish state called for a further escalation of the conflict around Syria to be prevented, adding that the only way to establish long-term peace and stability in Syria is through a political settlement.

In turn, Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey Bekir Bozdag stated that Ankara currently acts as a mediator for Washington and Moscow on the Syrian issue. He said that Erdogan held telephone talks with his counterparts from Russia and the United States, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, and discussed the crisis around Syria. "Turkey has become a kind of mediator in the search for a solution between Russia and the United States," he said.

President of the United States Donald Trump gave the order to launch missile strikes on the Syrian territory in response to the alleged use of chemical weapons. They were also joined by the United Kingdom and France.

By Dimitri Dolaberidze