Russia President Vladimir Putin received Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Turkish Minister of Defence Hulusi Akar in the Kremlin to discuss economic cooperation issues as well as the Syrian crisis.
In attendance at the meeting was the Head of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organisation Hakan Fidan.
The meeting comes on the heels of a recent report from Russian Television that asserts that the U.S. is positioning weaponry for a bombing-raid to punish Syria for a soon to happen Al Qaeda/White Helmets chemical weapons attacks.
French President Emmanuel Macron has declared, during his speech to French ambassadors on Monday, that France was ready to launch new strikes against Syria in case of a chemical weapons attack.
Meanwhile US National Security Adviser John Bolton reportedly warned Russian Secretary of the Security Council Nikolai Patrushev that Washington was prepared to take forceful military action against Syria if Damascus uses chemical weapons, stressing that America as prepared to respond with greater force than before.
Eva Bartlett reported to RT “Bolton calls on Al-Qaeda to stage more chemical attacks in Syria” and said, “In a move that was entirely predictable, the US administration is once again threatening to bomb Syria if there is a ‘chemical weapons attack’.”
Via RT…
“Foreign specialists” have arrived in Syria and may stage a chemical attack using chlorine in “the next two days,” the Russian Defense Ministry said. This will be filmed for international media to frame Damascus forces.
Defense Ministry Spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said the operation is planned to unfold in the village of Kafr Zita in Syria’s northwestern Hama Province in “the next two days.”
Konashenkov said that “English-speaking specialists” are already in place to use “poisonous agents.” While a group of residents from the north has been transported to Kafr Zita and is currently being prepared “to take part in the staging of the attack” and be filmed suffering from supposed “‘chemical munitions’ and ‘barrel bombs’ launched by the Syrian government forces.”
The groups of residents will be used to assist “fake rescuers from the White Helmets.” They will be filmed apparently suffering from the effects of chemical weapons and then be shown in “the Middle Eastern and English-language media.”
The defense ministry earlier warned that the US, UK, and France are preparing to use the planned attack as a pretext for airstrikes against Syria. The USS The Sullivans, an Arleigh Burke-class Aegis guided missile destroyer, was already deployed to the Persian Gulf a couple of days ago.
The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterparts, days away from Assad’s liberation of Idlib, and amidst intelligence reports that claim the US, UK and France have planned out a false flag chemical weapons attack in Idlib, so as to provide the cover for another illegal bombing of Damascus.
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Via President of Russia official website…
Taking part in the meeting on the Russian side were Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Special Presidential Representative for the Syrian Settlement Alexander Lavrentyev.
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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Colleagues, friends,
I am pleased to welcome you in Moscow. I know that you have already held consultations with your Russian partners in the Foreign Ministry, the Defence Ministry and representatives of special services.
Relations with Turkey are growing deeper and more substantive, not to mention the regular contacts with President Erdogan. I would like to speak about the deepening cooperation in the economy and on resolving a number of regional issues, including urgent ones like the Syrian crisis. Thanks to our countries’ efforts and the involvement of other concerned states, I mean Iran in particular, as well as our cooperation with the United Nations, European countries and the United States, we have made significant progress towards settling the Syrian crisis. I know that you have also discussed other matters of mutual interest today.
I am glad to see you and to hear your assessment of where we are now and what we have to do in the short and longer term to promote our relations.
Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu (retranslated): Mr President,
First of all, we would like to thank you for receiving us.
Your good friend Mr Erdogan sends his greetings and best regards and expects your visit to Istanbul soon. You have plans to go to a seafood restaurant.
It is true that our relations at the presidential level are very good, and this drives us to promote relations at our level as well. Today our foreign ministers held talks. Our colleagues discussed regional issues at their respective levels. All cooperation matters were discussed. It is very important for us, not only at the state level, but in the regional context as well.
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