Yardim also said Ankara was not opposed to the current Syrian leadership playing some kind of a role in a possible political transition, the TASS news agency reported. “We want the existing political leadership of the country to take part in the negotiation process,” it cited Yardim as telling a news conference in Moscow. WorldMOSCOW, REUTERS -The Turkish government believes that the current Syrian leadership could potentially take part in talks aimed at resolving the Syria crisis, the RIA news agency quoted Umit Yardim, Turkey's ambassador to Russia, as saying on Thursday. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in a TV interview that a political transition in Syria with President Bashar al-Assad was not possible however. President Vladimir Putin received his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan in St Petersburg on Tuesday where both men discussed Syria, a conflict where they have long backed opposing sides.

Source: Sunday Times August 11, 2016 10:30 UTC