Sergei Ryabkov
Moscow is concerned that the task of the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad are beginning to catch up specific war effort. On Wednesday, 30 November, Deputy foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, commenting on the statement of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s intention to remove the Syrian leader from power, reports TASS.
According to him, Moscow has never had any illusions as to what goals the US and its allies in the Arab country. Ryabkov recalled that “at different levels and in Washington, and Ankara repeatedly declared that the future of Syria with Assad in these capitals do not see.”
“Another thing is that the task of regime change in Damascus now tightened to a specific war effort. That is, certain power devices, the operations that can be carried out in this regard, of course, we are concerned about,” said the Deputy Minister. Ryabkov stressed that Russia’s position in the question of the future of Syria is at odds with a number of countries, including Turkey.
29 November, Erdogan said that the Turkish army launched a military operation in Syria to put an end to the rule of Bashar al-Assad. “We are there to restore justice and to put an end to the domination of a cruel tyrant Assad,” — said the head of state.
Official Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow these words of the President have become news, and the Russian foreign Ministry said that during his visit to Ankara, Minister of foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov asks the question about the words of Erdogan.
Subsequently, a source in the administration of the Turkish leader said that Erdogan’s statement about the intention to remove Assad from power should not be understood literally.
Turkish armed forces with the participation of soldiers of the Syrian free army (FSA) carried out an operation “shield of the Euphrates” since August 24 this year. The main goal is the liberation of the border areas from the extremists of the “Islamic state” (organization banned in Russia) and fighters of the Kurdish militia, and the establishment in those areas of the security zones.