We understand your burden, Putin tells Turkey over Iraq and Syria conflicts

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to travel to Turkey on Dec. 1. AA Photo

Moscow is aware of the pressure on Turkey stemming from violence in Iraq and Syria, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said ahead of his Dec. 1 visit to Turkey.

“We are fully aware of the burden imposed on Turkey by the ongoing violent conflict ravaging your neighbors,” Putin said in an interview with Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency.

The president, whose country’s relations with the West have been strained in their worst standoff since the Cold War due to the crisis in Ukraine, accused "terrorist organizations and Western countries" for the escalation of tension in the region.

“What is more, the main risk of further aggravation of the situation both in this country and in neighboring states stems from the activities of the so-called Islamic State and other radical groups that were once actively employed by some Western countries, which flirted with them and encouraged them,” Putin said.

Russia has been a key international ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian civil war, which is in its fourth year and where the situation on the ground has deteriorated as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has grabbed large swathes of land.

“We will continue to do everything necessary to help the Syrian people to overcome the tragic events and find peace and harmony as soon as practicably possible. This is the purpose of our contacts with the Syrian government, various opposition groups, our international and regional partners, including, of course, our Turkish colleagues,” he said.