President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday said Turkey was worried by the "arm wrestling" of world powers over Syria, adding he will discuss with Russian President Vladimir Putin how to stop chemical attacks in the country.
"We are extremely worried that some countries confident of their military power are turning Syria into a scene for arm wrestling," Erdoğan said in a speech in Ankara after an unprecedented upsurge of tensions between Washington and Moscow.
Erdoğan 's remarks came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Russia on Twitter to brace for U.S. military engagement in Syria following a suspected chemical attack in Douma, Eastern Ghouta on April 8 that killed dozens of people.
Trump also blamed Moscow for being partners with "a gas killing animal", referring to Syria's Bashar al-Assad.
Trump's posts on Twitter followed a warning from Moscow that the risk of a direct military clash between Russia and the U.S. in Syria "is higher than before", with a Russian envoy saying that U.S. missiles flying over the war-ravaged country would be shot down.
He stressed in his speech that Turkey had would maintain its presence and activities in Syria until the country became safe for everyone.
Erdoğan said he will speak to Russia's Vladimir Putin later on Thursday about the situation in Syria, a day after he spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump, adding that Ankara would continue its relations with both countries, and Iran.
Erdoğan and Trump discussed the crisis in Syria in a phone call and agreed to stay in touch on Wednesday.
