Turkey’s Erdogan slams Russian Federation for backing Assad

Saudi Arabia and Turkey plan to create a “strategic cooperation council” to strengthen military, economic and investment cooperation between the two states, Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi foreign minister, said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed Russian Federation for backing Syrian President Bashar Assad amid heightened tensions between Ankara and Moscow.

The talks were also attended by Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior, Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, second deputy premier and minister of defense, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Minister of Economy Mustafa Elitas and other high ranking officials from both sides.

Previously, Turkey suspected Russia of being behind the crippling attacks, perhaps in retaliation for the Russian jet that was downed earlier in November.

The U.N. says at least 250,000 people have been killed in the almost five-year Syrian conflict, and some 12 million people displaced, triggering a massive refugee crisis.

Though Kurdish fighters are among the strongest forces on the ground in Syria battling the IS group, Erdogan told reporters before arriving in Saudi Arabia that countries backing the Kurds are “adding fuel to fire”.

According to a report in a local publication, Arda Ermut, chief of the Investment Support and Promotion Agency of Turkey, said that Erdogan’s visit would boost mutual investments, which would have a positive impact on the entire region.

Mohammed Rasool, a news assistant who was detained along with two British journalists in Turkey’s mainly Kurdish southeast, remains jailed since late August.

On Dec. 15, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported that 34 Muslim countries had agreed to form an “anti-terrorism” alliance to be headquartered in Riyadh.