France Counts On Putin To Find Way To Convince Turkey To Stop Syria Operation - Ambassador

Paris is hoping that Russian President Vladimir Putin can find a way to persuade Ankara to stop its offensive in northeastern Syria, which may lead to the spread of terrorists held in prisons in the area, French Ambassador to Russia Sylvie Bermann said Monday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th October, 2019) Paris is hoping that Russian President Vladimir Putin can find a way to persuade Ankara to stop its offensive in northeastern Syria, which may lead to the spread of terrorists held in prisons in the area, French Ambassador to Russia Sylvie Bermann said Monday.

"Clearly current situation worries us for humanitarian reasons and at the same time because with the Turkish intervention there is spread of terrorists ... so we count on president Putin to find a way to convince the Turks to stop," Bermann said at a Valdai Discussion Club meeting.

When asked about the ways Russia could influence Turkey, she remarked that "talks between Syrians and Kurds can be sustained by Russia."

The Syrian government had agreed to send troops to the border with Turkey to help the Kurds repel Ankara's offensive, the administration of the Kurdish authority in northern Syria announced on Sunday.

Ankara's operation even its allies to voice concerns over the impact this might have on the fight against the Islamic State terrorist group (IS, banned in Russia). Many IS fighters are held in the prisons of mainly Kurdish militias in the north of Syria.

"We have indications, but not confirmation at this time, that terrorists escaped camps controlled by the Kurds," Bermann said.

Self-proclaimed Kurdish Autonomous Administration in Syria said Sunday that at least 785 prisoners associated with the IS had escaped a prison camp amid Turkey's operation.