Russian and Turkish army commanders are going to establish an emergency hotline to avoid “unwanted incidents” similar to the last year’s downing of a Russian jet by Turkish fighter planes.
Photo: Sputnik / Mikhail Klimentyev
Turkey said that Russian and Turkish army commanders will establish an emergency hotline between them to avoid “unwanted incidents” similar to the last year’s downing of a Russian jet by Turkish fighter planes, Turkish media reported.
“We have agreed to be in close contact in order to avoid such incidents. In this frame, our chief of general staff and the Russian chief of general staff have re-established a direct line. They are in talks on this,” Turkey’s Hurriyet Daily News quoted the words of country’s presidential spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin.
The announcement has been made after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Russia for negotiations with Russia’s president Vladimir Putin.
“The Russian army chief and our army chief were participating in a phase of yesterday’s negotiations. They have still been in contact over creation the direct phone line,” Turkish Yeni Safak daily quoted the words of Ibrahim Kalin.
The presidential spokesman also pointed out that the army chiefs are currently “in close contract over regional issues of mutual interest, especially the crisis in Syria.”
“They want the mechanism to begin its activities immediately,” Kalin added.
Earlier on August 10, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced the plan of a Turkish delegation, including Foreign Ministry, defense and military officials, to visit Russia later in the day for follow-up talks.
He also added that Russia and Turkey have the same views concerning the need for a ceasefire in Syria and the provision of humanitarian aid to the civilians affected by the conflict there.
“We are doing it for our interests, for regional interests. We are actually issuing our messages to the West in a clear way,” Mevlut Cavusoglu said.
I am not certain on how to interpret these developments. I would exercise extreme caution in developing ties. There could be a tendency to have decision making drift away from Damascus and towards Moscow. Let it not be forgotten that it is the Syrians who have the sole right to determine what happens within their borders and whose armed forces are permitted to intervene.