(ANSAmed) - ASTANA / ISTANBUL, 22 NOV - Russia has said that
it hopes Turkey will use "restraint" and abstain from "any use
of excessive force" in Syria, where Ankara is carrying out air
attacks and threatening a ground offensive against Kurdish
fighters part of the PKK and the US-backed YPG, led by Kurds and
linked to the PKK.
The PKK is considered a terrorist organisation by the US, EU and Turkey.
"We hope to convince our Turkish counterparts to abstain from making use of excessive force on Syrian territory" to "avoid an escalation of tension", the media was told by Alexander Lavrentiev, special envoy of Russian president Vladimir Putin in Astana, the capital of Kazakistan where a three-way meeting will be held between Russia, Turkey and Iran on Syria.
Meanwhile, Turkey has announced that it has, since the beginning of the year, "neutralised" a total of "3,585 terrorists" in northern Syria, Iraq and Turkey.
He did not specify how many were killed or arrested in Turkey and how many in Syria and Iraq.
The announcement was made by Defense Minister, Hulusi Akar, quoted by CNN Turk, using the term "neutralise" to indicate the arrest or killing of fighters Turkey holds to be terrorists.
The operation launched on Sunday against the PKK and linked fighters in northern Syria and northern Iraq, called Claw Sword, "has been the largest, most complete and most effective air operation against the terrorist organisation in the recent period", the Turkish defense minister added. (ANSAmed).
The PKK is considered a terrorist organisation by the US, EU and Turkey.
"We hope to convince our Turkish counterparts to abstain from making use of excessive force on Syrian territory" to "avoid an escalation of tension", the media was told by Alexander Lavrentiev, special envoy of Russian president Vladimir Putin in Astana, the capital of Kazakistan where a three-way meeting will be held between Russia, Turkey and Iran on Syria.
Meanwhile, Turkey has announced that it has, since the beginning of the year, "neutralised" a total of "3,585 terrorists" in northern Syria, Iraq and Turkey.
He did not specify how many were killed or arrested in Turkey and how many in Syria and Iraq.
The announcement was made by Defense Minister, Hulusi Akar, quoted by CNN Turk, using the term "neutralise" to indicate the arrest or killing of fighters Turkey holds to be terrorists.
The operation launched on Sunday against the PKK and linked fighters in northern Syria and northern Iraq, called Claw Sword, "has been the largest, most complete and most effective air operation against the terrorist organisation in the recent period", the Turkish defense minister added. (ANSAmed).
