Russia considers Turkey’s possible military operation in Syria unwise

Russian negotiator Alexander Lavrentyev attends a session of the peace talks on Syria in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan April 26, 2019. REUTERS/Mukhtar Kholdorbekov

June 15 (Reuters) – Russia considers Turkey’s possible military operation in Syria unwise as it could escalate and destabilise the situation, the RIA news agency cited Russia’s Syria envoy Alexander Lavrentyev as saying on Wednesday.

Lavrentyev also said Moscow no longer considered Geneva a suitable venue for talks between Syrians, according to the TASS agency.

The Russian envoy was in Kazakh capital Nur-Sultan on Wednesday for talks with Turkey, Iran, and the Syrian government and rebels.

Ankara says it must act in Syria because Washington and Moscow broke promises to push the predominantly Kurdish group YPG 30 km (18 miles) from the border after a 2019 Turkish offensive, and says attacks from YPG-controlled areas have increased. read more

Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Michael Perry

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