Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Russian parliamentary speaker Vyacheslav Volodin on Saturday held talks to discuss bilateral cooperation on the sidelines of the third inter-parliamentary conference on countering terrorism in Istanbul
ANKARA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th October, 2019) Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Russian parliamentary speaker Vyacheslav Volodin on Saturday held talks to discuss bilateral cooperation on the sidelines of the third inter-parliamentary conference on countering terrorism in Istanbul.Top lawmakers from Russia, Afghanistan, China, Iran, Pakistan and Turkey have gathered in Istanbul to discuss regional cooperation, fight against terrorism and counterterrorist legislation.
"At our meeting [with] Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, [we] discussed our bilateral relations. Recently established 'High Level Cooperation Commission' will enable regular contacts between our parliaments," Cavusoglu wrote on his Twitter.
The meeting was held amid Turkey's Operation Peace Spring in Syria's northeast, targeting the predominantly-Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which Ankara claims are affiliated with the terrorist-designated Kurdistan Workers' Party. The offensive began after US President Donald Trump ordered the removal of some 1,000 US troops from the region. Ankara has stated that its has neutralized 415 terrorists since Wednesday.
Turkey's move has been largely condemned by the international community, including Western allies and the Arab world. Damascus views the offensive as a violation of Syria's territorial integrity. Russia calls on parties to start a dialogue, saying that it would benefit both Syria and Turkey.
