Ankara:
Turkey said Friday it has urged Russia and Iran not to intervene militarily to support Bashar al-Assad's forces as Islamist-led rebels began their meteoric advance on Damascus that ended with the ouster of the Syrian strongman man.
“The most important thing was to talk to the Russians and Iranians to ensure that they did not get involved militarily. We had meetings with (them) and they understood,” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Turkey's private NTV television.
He said that if Moscow and Tehran, both key allies of Assad since the civil war began in 2011, had come to the Syrian president's aid, the rebels could still have won, but the outcome could have been much more violent.
“If Assad had received support, the opposition could have achieved victory with their determination, but it would have taken a long time and could have been bloody,” he said.
Turkey's goal was to “hold focused talks with the two major power players to ensure minimal loss of life,” Fidan said.
They quickly realized that the game was up, that Assad was “no longer someone to invest in” and “there was no point anymore,” he added. A
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