Official: Turkey, Russia want cease-fire in Syria

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Thursday his country and Russia want a cease-fire in Syria, where the two nations support opposing camps in the conflict.

Speaking alongside his Russian counterpart in a Turkish resort town, Sergey Lavrov, Cavusoglu said, “We are in agreement that a cease-fire is needed so that the tragedy can come to an end.”

Ankara and Moscow have long been at odds over the conflict in Syria, where Russia backs President Bashar Assad and Turkey supports rebel factions fighting to topple the Syrian leader.

The conflict has played out tragically in the divided city of Aleppo, where tens of thousands, mostly women and children, have been displaced from their homes in rebel-held areas since Saturday.

Cavusoglu said a cease-fire was needed in all of Syria but especially in Aleppo, where multiple temporary truces have fallen apart, in order for humanitarian aid to be delivered. In reference to eastern Aleppo, Lavrov said his country will continue its support for the Syrian government until the city is “cleared of terrorists.”

Russia and Turkey disagree over which elements of the Syrian opposition constitute terrorists, with Moscow using the term loosely to encompass most armed opposition fighters.