Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad has joined the fray over Turkey’s shooting down of a Russian warplane.
Assad rarely gives interviews, but when he did on Sunday, he took the opportunity to blast Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“I think it has shown the real intention of Erdogan, who, let’s say, lost his nerve just because the Russian intervention has changed the balance on the ground,” Assad told a reporter for Czech Television.
“So the failure of Erdogan in Syria, the failure of his terrorist groups, means his political demise. So he wants to do anything in order to put obstacles in front of any success,” he said.
Turkey said it shot down the Russian jet because it violated Turkish airspace. Russia has said the plane was over Syrian airspace, en route to attack ISIS targets.
Airspace has been a friction point in the past.
In early October, Turkey said it intercepted a Russian jet that violated its airspace. The jet moved away when confronted by Turkish planes, Turkey said. Turkey then delivered a stern warning to the Russian ambassador.
Russia denied any aggressive intent, saying bad weather caused its jet to go off course.
Putin slams Turkey, too
This week, Russian President Vladimir Putin also lambasted Turkey, claiming on Monday the country acted to protect a secret illegal oil trade with ISIS.
Erdogan quickly took a slap back at Putin, saying he’ll resign if Moscow’s claims are proven true. “As soon as such a claim is proved, the nobility of our nation requires (me) to do this,” Erdogan said.
But, he added, if the allegations are untrue, then Putin should resign.
“I am asking Mr. Putin, would you remain?”
Economic sanctions
Moscow struck back economically after the plane was shot down, banning the import of some Turkish goods, imposing restrictions on travel and planning to stop some Turkish companies from doing business in Russia.
Russia also took steps to restrict Russians from traveling to Turkey, which could hit the Turkish tourism industry hard.
The two countries hold widely different views about how to end the Syrian civil war and what should happen to Syria’s leader.
Ankara’s position is that Assad must go for the conflict to end — a position also held by the United States.
Moscow backs Assad. In October, Russian planes began airstrikes inside Syria.
There is no place for Assad in Syria’s future, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday, but the U.S. hopes that the government and structure can remain.
He said Washington and its allies want to avoid a collapse of authority like what happened in Iraq after the ouster of Saddam Hussein.
“Our hope and prayer is that indeed Russia and Iran will stay committed to the concept of a transition that really legitimizes governance in Syria in a way that can bring about a ceasefire and in a way that can bring an end to the conflict,” Kerry said. “That is not regime change, that is Assad change.”
Taking Turkey’s side
In the bitter debate about where the Russian warplane was flying when it was shot down, the United States took Turkey’s side.
The available information indicates the warplane was in Turkish airspace, State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said.
Kerry said Wednesday that Turkey will seal off the unsecured part of its border with Syria.
He said there is still a 98-kilometer (61-mile) stretch of the border that is not sealed.
The closure is aimed at stopping the movement of illegal oil as well as the flow of foreign fighters from Syria to Turkey.