Turkey accuses Russia of ethnic cleansing in Syria
Date December 10, 2015 - 6:45AM
Photo: A Turkmen fighter loads a mortar while fighting Syrian government forces. Photo: Halab News Network
Istanbul: Turkey's Prime Minister has accused Russia of attempted "ethnic cleansing" in northern Syria, saying Moscow was trying to drive out the local Turkmen and Sunni Muslim populations to protect its military interests in the region.
Ahmet Davutoglu's comments on Wednesday could further harm strained relations between Moscow and Ankara, already at their worst in recent memory after Turkish forces downed a Russian warplane near the Turkish-Syrian border late last month.
"Russia is trying to make ethnic cleansing in northern Latakia to force [out] all Turkmen and Sunni population who do not have good relations with the regime," Mr Davutoglu told foreign reporters in Istanbul
Russian anger: A poster of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reading "Wanted Erdogan" left after a protest at the Turkish embassy in Moscow following Turkey's shooting down of a Russian warplane, right, last month. Photo: AP
"They want to expel them, they want to ethnically cleanse this area so that the regime [of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad] and Russian bases in Latakia and Tartus are protected," he said, speaking English.
The Turkmens are ethnic kin of the Turks and Ankara has been particularly angered by what it says is Russian targeting of them in Syria.
Mr Davutoglu said Russian bombing around Azaz, also in north-west Syria, was designed to cut supply lines to Syrian groups opposed to Mr Assad, Moscow's ally, and ultimately benefit Islamic State militants.
Both Moscow and Ankara have repeatedly accused the other of helping IS. Both deny the charge.
Turkey, a member of NATO and of the US-led coalition that is bombing IS in Syria, has long called for Mr Assad's overthrow.
Russia began intervening directly in Syria's civil war in late September with air strikes in support of Mr Assad.
The intervention has had unintended consequences, notably when Turkey shot down the jet, saying it had strayed into Turkish airspace, an allegation Russia denies.
Mr Davutoglu said Turkey was ready to work with Russia to prevent similar incidents happening again.
Mr Davutoglu, a former university professor fluent in both English and Arabic, defended Turkey's recent deployment of troops in northern Iraq, a move that has sparked a row with Baghdad.
Ankara sent the troops to counter an increased threat from IS militants to Turkish military trainers in the area, Mr Davutoglu said, describing the deployment as "an act of solidarity".
"These trainers in Bashiqa camp were threatened by Daesh because it is 15-20 kilometres from Mosul and they have only light arms," he said, using an Arabic name for IS.
"When these threats increased ... we sent some troops to protect the camp, not as an act of aggression but as an act of solidarity."
Reuters
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