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Turkish PM Accuses Pro-Kurdish Party Head of Treason Over Russia Comments
Posted On Dec 24 2015
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“Why are they going at such a time to a country with which we are having a crisis due to their violation of this nation’s airspace?” Turkish media reports had cited Demirtaş as saying before the visit that he wanted to open a HDP representative office in Moscow.Demirtaş held a closed-door meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov; however, it was not immediately clear which other Russian politicians he was to meet, according to Reuters.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has accused Russian Federation of deliberately launching an air strike against moderate opposition groups in Syria.
The Turkish official’s statement indicating awareness of the number of sorties flown by Russian aircraft in Syria can be regarded as “the official acknowledgement” of the pre-planned operation to destroy Russia’s Sukhoi Su-24M warplane, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Wednesday. The Turkish MoD had said that the plane had violated Turkish airspace, a claim denied by Russian Federation whose foreign ministry said that the jet was well within Syrian airspace when it was shot down.
His trip and the warm welcome he was given in Moscow are likely to unnerve Ankara in the light of comments by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said last week he saw no prospect of mending ties with Turkey’s leadership.
The Turkish government has criticised the visit of the main Kurdish opposition party leader to Russian Federation.
Following his meeting with Lavrov, Demirtas said he believed the recent diplomatic crisis between the two countries should be resolved through dialogue, for which he argued that his HDP did its part. After the incident, Russian Federation imposed a range of unilateral sanctions against Turkey, including a ban on food imports.
“Russia, participating in an anti-terrorist operation in Syria upon the request by the Syrian government, is ready to actively cooperate with those who are fighting this threat “on the land”, the minister said.
