Turkey FM Says Syria Ceasefire Should Not Cover Jihadist Groups, Hizbullah
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said that a ceasefire in Syria should not cover jihadist groups like the Islamic State group and the Fatah al-Sham Front, as well as groups like Lebanon's Hizbullah which fights on the regime side.
Speaking at a news conference after talks with the foreign ministers of Russia and Iran, Cavusoglu said the global community should target not only IS and Fatah al-Sham but also "other groups including Hizbullah."
Hizbullah is allied with Russia and Iran fighting on the Syrian government's side.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who chaired Tuesday's talks, did not openly disagree with Cavusoglu. But he mentioned that some groups operating in Syria "were invited by the government of Bashar Assad," implying that Hizbullah's presence in Syria is as legitimate as Russia's own role.
The Iranian minister said that Iran "respects" Turkey's stance, but added that "other countries don't accept" it.
Source: Associated Press, Naharnet
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