Putin invites Turkey's Erdogan to Moscow amid Syria offensive

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has invited his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to visit Moscow soon according to reports from Kremlin. He invited the Turkish PM for a work-related visit in the upcoming days. Putin's office on October 15 confirmed the news in an official statement. According to the statement, both the leaders stressed upon the requirement to avoid any future conflicts between the Turkish and Syrian military. Turkey last week launched an offensive targeting Syrian Kurdish fighters which forced thousands of civilians to run away from their homes. 

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Kremlin Press Service's statement

"The Presidents of Russia and Turkey reaffirmed their commitment to continuing the process of a political settlement in Syria and expressed their intention to facilitate the convening of the Syrian Constitutional Committee under the auspices of the United Nations at the end of October in Geneva," the Kremlin Press Service said in a statement. The telephonic conversation happened after the Turkish President called Putin to discuss the ongoing tensions. "The Russian president drew attention to the aggravation of the humanitarian situation in areas along the Syrian-Turkish border. The head of the Russian state also considers it unacceptable that members of terrorist organisations, including Daesh (ISIS), which are now guarded by Kurdish militia, take advantage of the current situation," the statement added. Many countries have cut ties with Turkey over the development.

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Russia ready to leave Syria if asked to

The Russian President gave a statement to a local television channel saying that the forces that are illegally deployed in Syria will have to leave it to restore the country's territorial integrity. The statement came after the Turkish offensive in Kurdish-controlled areas. He said that he is discussing the matter with both Iran and Turkey frankly. He then added that if the new Syrian government decides not to have Russian military presence in its territory then the troops will be called back. Many countries have condemned Turkey for its action against Syria, but Putin has said that it is a bilateral issue and both countries must resolve it among themselves through dialogue. 

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(With inputs from ANI)