Turkey on Saturday said differences over Syria "shouldn't affect" relations with Russia, local media reported, after both countries' foreign ministers met in Munich.

"The differences of opinion in Syria shouldn't affect Turkey-Russia relations. The situation in Idlib will not affect the S-400 agreement," broadcaster NTV reported Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu as saying.

Turkey purchased the Russian S-400 air defence system despite opposition from NATO ally the United States and the threat of sanctions.

Rebel backer Turkey and Damascus ally Russia have worked closely on Syria although they are on opposite sides of the war.

Cavusoglu met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference and, in a tweet, described their meeting as "positive".

Cavusoglu said that a Turkish delegation would go to Moscow on Monday. "(We) agreed on making an evaluation after these meetings," the Turkish minister added.

A Russian delegation including military and intelligence officials had already held talks in Ankara last weekend, but no concrete agreement emerged.

The ministers talks was the highest-level meeting between Turkish and Russian officials since tensions over Idlib began after Damascus killed 14 Turks this month.

The Turkish military has 12 observation posts in the northwestern province of Idlib, the last rebel-held bastion in Syria.

The posts were set up after a 2018 Russia-Turkey deal agreed in Sochi to prevent a regime offensive but in recent months, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has pressed an assault supported by Russian air strikes.

After the Turks' deaths, Ankara and Moscow became embroiled in a war of words over who had not fulfilled the conditions of the Sochi deal.

Earlier on Saturday, Turkish Vice-President Fuat Oktay insisted Ankara had "fulfilled its responsibilities" after Russia accused Turkey of failing to "neutralise terrorists" in Idlib.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan previously accused Russia of committing "massacres" in its support of the Syrian government.

The United Nations says 800,000 people have fled the region since December.

Related Links
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Trump 'fine' with end of Philippines military pact
Washington (AFP) Feb 12, 2020
US President Donald Trump dismissed concerns Wednesday about the Philippines canceling a major military accord, saying the decision would save Americans money. The 1998 Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) created a legal framework for the presence of US troops in the Philippines and for organizing joint military exercises. Manila announced its decision Tuesday - a move the US embassy in the Philippines called a "serious step" - touching off a six-month countdown to the end of the deal. "If ... read more