Russia says Turkey suppresses Kurds under pretext of fighting terrorism

Illegal traffic across the Turkish-Syrian border has decreased dramatically since Russia's military operation in Syria

MOSCOW: Anakara is hindering Kurdish forces in their fight against Islamic State and using the slogan of a "war against terrorism" to suppress Kurdish organizations in Syria and Turkey, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.



Illegal traffic across the Turkish-Syrian border has decreased dramatically since the start of Russia's military operation in Syria, Lavrov told a news briefing.



Referring to the Turkish border, he stressed a need to fully implement UN Security Council resolutions demanding a halt of trade in artifacts and oil with Islamic State and to stop "terrorists" from crossing into Syria, including from Turkey.