During a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Turkish President said that Turkey’s military operation in northern Syria was not to target the country or its leader but aimed only at terrorist groups. The Kremlin had asked President Erdogan to clarify his goals in Syria after he claimed that Turkish troops were there to end the rule of Syrian President Bashar Assad earlier this week. RT reports: “The aim of the Euphrates Shield Operation [in northern Syria] is not any country or person, but only terrorist organizations,” Erdogan said Thursday, as quoted by the Hurryiet Daily News. “No one should doubt this issue that we have uttered over and over, and no one should comment on it in another fashion or try to derail it,” he added. The latest comments come in contrast to remarks Erdogan made on Tuesday, when he said Turkey’s operation in Syria, launched in late August, aimed “to end the rule of the tyrant [Syrian President] al-Assad who terrorizes with state terror.” This drew surprise from Russia, which asked for clarification of the remarks. According to Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, this was provided when Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish leader Erdogan discussed the issue [...]
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