Turkish PM accuses Russia of 'ethnic cleansing' in Syria

Turkey's prime minister accused Russia on
Wednesday of attempted "ethnic cleansing" in northern Syria, saying
Moscow was trying to drive out the local Turkmen and Sunni Muslim
populations to protect its military interests in the region.
Ahmet Davutoglu's comments could further harm strained relations
between Moscow and Ankara, already at their worst in recent memory
after Turkish forces downed a Russian warplane near the Turkish-
Syrian border late last month.
"Russia is trying to make ethnic cleansing in northern Latakia to force
(out) all Turkmen and Sunni population who do not have good
relations with the regime," Davutoglu told foreign reporters in Istanbul.
"They want to expel them, they want to ethnically cleanse this area so
that the regime (of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad) and Russian
bases in Latakia and Tartus are protected," he said, speaking English.
The Turkmens are ethnic kin of the Turks and Ankara has been
particularly angered by what it says is Russian targeting of them in
Syria.
Davutoglu said Russian bombing around Azaz, also in northwest Syria,
was designed to cut supply lines to Syrian groups opposed to Assad,
Moscow's ally, and ultimately to benefit Islamic State militants.
Both Moscow and Ankara have repeatedly accused the other of
helping Islamic State. Both deny the charge.
Turkey, a member of NATO and of the U.S.-led coalition that is
bombing Islamic State in Syria, has long called for Assad's overthrow.
Russia began intervening directly in Syria's civil war in late September
with air strikes in support of Assad.