Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (C), Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani attend a press conference after their summit in Ankara, Turkey, on Sept. 16, 2019. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua)
The Russian authorities on Thursday urged all parties to restrain from stirring up tensions in Syria.
MOSCOW, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Kremlin said Monday that Russia has maintained contact with Turkey and continues to oppose actions that could provoke tensions in Syria, but declined to comment on the developments following Ankara's military operation in that country.
"Contacts between the Russian and Turkish authorities are ongoing," Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that the military of the two countries also held communication channels.
On Wednesday, Turkey launched a military offensive dubbed "Operation Peace Spring" against Kurdish forces in northern Syria bordering southern Turkey.
On Sunday, the Kurdish Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria said it had reached an agreement with the Syrian government, backed by Russia, allowing the Syrian army to assume control of some Kurdish-held areas to counter Turkey's military progress.
The Russian authorities on Thursday urged all parties to restrain from stirring up tensions in Syria and expressed readiness to facilitate a multilateral dialogue to bring peace in the Middle Eastern country. ■
