Turkey UK says Russian intervention in Syria a big mistake

(MENAFN- Arab News)ISTANBUL/CAIRO: Turkey slammed Russia's bombing campaign in Syria as a 'grave mistake' rejecting Egypt's suggestion that it will curtail the spread of terrorism and help deal a fatal blow to the Daesh group.
'The steps Russia is taking and the bombing campaign in Syria are quite unacceptable to Turkey' Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters at Istanbul airport before leaving for a visit to France.
'(...) Unfortunately Russia is making a grave mistake' he said.
Given Moscow's friendly relations with Turkey its actions in Syria are 'worrying and disturbing' Erdogan said.
The strikes will 'isolate Russia in the region' he predicted.
Russia launched air strikes in Syria on Wednesday in its biggest Middle East intervention in decades marking a dramatic escalation in a more than four-year-old civil war in which every major country in the region has a stake.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he is striking Daesh (Islamic State) militants and helping Syria's Bashar Assad long Russia's closest ally in the region. But the United States is concerned that Moscow is propping up Assad who Washington has long held should leave.
While Egypt has avoided showing support for Assad Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry heaped praises on Russia's action. 'Russia's entrance given its potential and capabilities is something we see is going to have an effect on limiting terrorism in Syria and eradicating it' Shoukry said in a televised interview on Saturday.
Egypt the Arab world's most-populous nation is confronted by an increasingly violent insurgency in North Sinai where the most active militant group has pledged allegiance to Islamic State.

Staunchest backer
Russia and Turkey have long been at odds over Syria with Moscow emerging as Assad's key international backer and Ankara seeing his ouster as the only solution to the conflict.
'What's Russia trying achieve there anyway?' Erdogan asked.
'It intervened because this was what the regime in Syria demanded. But there's no obligation to respond like this every time a regime insists on it' he said.
Erdogan blamed 'not only Russia' but also Iran which was defending Assad and 'waging state terrorism' in Syria.
'The countries that cooperate with the (Syrian) regime will be accountable to history' he warned.
Russia which began the air strikes in Syria last week insists the operation only targets jihadists.
But Turkey and several of its Western allies have said moderates fighting Assad's regime have also been hit.

'Terrible mistake'
Assad on Sunday said the success of Russia's military intervention in his war-torn country was vital for the entire Middle East.
'The alliance between Russia Syria Iraq and Iran must succeed or else the whole region will be destroyed' Assad said in an interview broadcast by Iranian state television.
'The chances of success for this coalition are great and not insignificant' he added.
But British Prime Minister David Cameron on Sunday disagreed and described Putin's decision to take military action in Syria to support Assad as a 'terrible mistake.'
'They are backing the butcher Assad which is a terrible mistake for them and for the world' Cameron told the BBC on the first day of his Conservative Party's annual conference in the northern English city of Manchester.
'It's going to make the region more unstable it will lead to further radicalization and increased terrorism. I would say to them 'change direction join us in attacking ISIL'.'
Russia says it is targeting hard-line Islamic State militants but Cameron questioned that position.
'Most of the Russian air strikes as far as we've been able to see so far have been in parts of Syria not controlled by ISIL (Islamic State) but controlled by other opponents of the regime' he said.
Cameron is keen for Britain to begin its own air strikes in Syria joining allies in a US-led coalition against Islamic State a self-declared caliphate spanning large areas of Syria and neighboring Iraq. British bombing as part of the coalition so far has only targeted Islamic State in Iraq.
He signalled that he would push ahead with plans for a vote in parliament to approve military action against Islamic State in Syria the Daily Telegraph newspaper said in its Sunday edition.
Cameron was quoted as saying that British military attacks in Syria 'may well become possible.' Previously Cameron has said he sees a strong case for extending British air strikes to Syria from Iraq.
After losing a parliamentary vote on the use of force against Assad in Syria in 2013 Cameron has said he would want the support of opposing lawmakers before putting the matter to a vote. The opposition Labour Party which last month elected anti-war campaigner Jeremy Corbyn as leader is split on the issue.
Foreign minister Philip Hammond also warned of the dangers of the Russian intervention saying in his address to party activists that Russia could not fight Islamic State militants in Syria and support Assad at the same time.
'Russian support for him will drive the opposition in Syria into the arms of ISIL strengthening the evil that Putin says he wants to defeat' he said.
However speaking in the earlier Telegraph newspaper interview Cameron said he did not believe Russian military involvement in Syria should prevent Britain's attempt to strike at Islamic State.
'What I am clear about is one of the biggest threats we have to respond to is that terrorist threat' he was quoted as saying.
In a move that is likely to please many in his party he said he would 'beef up' Britain's elite Special Air Service regiment (SAS) and buy 20 new drones known as Protectors as part of the battle with the militants.
After telling parliament last month that Britain had killed two of its own nationals who had been fighting for Islamic State in Syria Cameron said British militants in Syria would be targeted by drones as a 'last resort.'