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13 Apr, 2018 15:59

Turkey’s Erdogan sees ‘tension easing’ in Russia-US row on Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that Russia-US tensions over Syria appeared to be easing, after Moscow and Washington traded accusations over potential American military action. “It seems that with the latest developments, the atmosphere has eased somewhat,” Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul. “Our talks continue and will continue.” The Turkish leader in recent days spoke by phone to US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ankara appears keen not to take sides in one of the worst outbreaks of tension since the Cold War between its NATO ally Washington and increasingly close partner Moscow, AFP said. Erdogan said he had told the leaders it was “not right” to raise tensions in the region. He stressed Thursday that Syria should not become an arena for geopolitical “arm-wrestling.” Erdogan repeated Ankara's vehement opposition to chemical weapons use after the suspected chemical attack in Douma, Syria.