Russia Opposes Permanent Presence Of Turkish Troops In Syria - Special Envoy Lavrentyev

Russia is against the permanent presence of Turkish troops in Syria, special presidential envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev said Tuesday

ABU DHABI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th October, 2019) Russia is against the permanent presence of Turkish troops in Syria, special presidential envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev said Tuesday.

On October 9, Turkey launched an offensive in neighboring Syria in a bid to create a safe zone along the border that would be free of Kurdish fighters. The Turkish military has said it now controls the Syrian border towns of Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad.

"We are opposed to the permanent presence of Turkish troops in Syria," Lavrentyev told reporters on the sidelines of Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to the United Arab Emirates.

The Russian diplomat stressed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised that the Turkish troops would leave Syria after the goals of Operation Peace Spring have been achieved.

However, Lavrentyev could not give an estimate of when it could happen.