UN urges Putin, Erdoğan to talk urgently to avert Idlib 'bloodbath'

The leaders of Russia and Turkey should draw up a solution in the next few days to avoid a bloodbath among civilians in Syria's last rebel stronghold in the Idlib region, UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said. "A telephone call between the two of you would make a big difference," de Mistura said, addressing Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan directly in a media briefing from Geneva.

Published September 04,2018

Subscribe

UN URGES PUTIN, ERDOĞAN TO TALK URGENTLY TO AVERT IDLIB BLOODBATH

The UN's Syria peace envoy called Tuesday on the Russian and Turkish presidents to urgently speak to each other to help avert a "bloodbath" in rebel-held Idlib, as a military offensive appears imminent.

Staffan de Mistura appealed to "President Putin and to President Erdoğan, ... to make a telephone call," even before they are set to meet with their Iranian counterpart in Tehran on Friday.