Jan 18, 2018

Turkey’s army chief Hulusi Akar and head of national intelligence Hakan Fidan flew to Moscow today to hold talks on Syria and, as many commentators speculated, to secure Russia’s blessing for a planned Turkish offensive against the Syrian Kurdish-controlled enclave of Afrin.

Following their meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, the Russian Ministry of Defense posted a brief statement on its website saying the talks had focused on the situation in the Middle East as well as on “current topics of mutual interest.” The meeting was “held in a constructive manner,” the statement concluded but provided no further details.

The English-language Daily Sabah, the mass-circulation outlet that serves as a mouthpiece for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, wasted no time in spinning the story to fit Turkey’s desired narrative. In quoting the Russian statement, it substituted the word “constructive” with “productive,” implying that the general and the spymaster had been given the green light to proceed with the offensive.

Photographs of the Turkish and Russian delegations assembled around a large oval table released by the ministry suggested otherwise. The Russians were grinning; the Turks were glum.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu remained evasive when asked whether Russia was on board for a Turkish operation. In an interview with CNNTurk, he said, “The Russians should not be opposed.” Cavusoglu said that Turkey was holding discussions with Syria’s top ally, Iran, which also has troops deployed along the Syrian Turkish border. Cavusoglu argued, however, “It is our right under international law. … We are going to do this. We need to do this. We do not care what the countries of the world have said.”