Turkey’s president said Wednesday he would speak with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in an effort to rescue a ceasefire deal which would allow militants and civilians to be evacuated from Syria’s Aleppo.
“I will speak with Mr Putin again later in the evening,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a televised speech in Ankara.
“The situation on the ground is very fragile and complicated.”
A deal reached Tuesday, which would end years of fighting in the city, called on militants and civilians whom the insurgents use as human shields start evacuating from Aleppo.
If implemented, the deal would mark a major victory for the Syrian government and the worst defeat for militants. It will leave the government in control of the country’s five major cities.
Moscow, said the militants broke the truce, prompting the Syrian army to resume its operations in Aleppo.
But Erdogan accused the Syrian army of breaking the deal.
“We were hoping that a process of evacuation had begun for civilians and opposition from east Aleppo as a result of negotiations that I personally followed, unfortunately missiles have begun to be launched again,” the Turkish president said.
“Therefore, we remain cautious,” he said, adding that the implementation of the ceasefire was the “last hope” for the people in Aleppo.
Erdogan also slammed the United Nations for its failure to create a safe zone inside Syria to shelter Syrian refugees and said Turkey would host those fleeing from Aleppo if necessary.
“Hey the United Nations, where are you?” he said.
Erdogan said Turkey finalized preparations for civilians to be evacuated from Aleppo to the western Syrian city of Idlib near the Turkish border.
“We are also ready to embrace those who will come to Turkey,” Erdogan said.
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said on Tuesday that Ankara would “set up a tent city to accommodate up to 80,000 Syrian refugees fleeing Aleppo”.
Source: AFP
