Turkey not making choice between Russia, US: Cavusoglu

By Ayse Yildiz

ANTALYA, Turkey

Turkey is not taking sides between Russia and the U.S., Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Saturday.

“We are not making a choice between Russia and America. We are also not making a choice between the [Bashar al-Assad] regime and America, France Britain,” Cavusoglu told a crowd during the 5th ordinary congress of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party in Antalya’s Alanya district.

"Our goal is to bring a political solution to Syria, bring back peace and guarantee Syria's stability, border and territorial unity; we are sincere on this issue," he said.

Earlier on Saturday, Cavusoglu said the U.S.-led airstrikes was against the Assad regime that uses chemical weapons.

“We have to save Syria from this regime,” Cavusoglu said.

The U.S., U.K., and France jointly launched airstrikes on the Assad regime's alleged chemical weapons facilities in Syria earlier on Saturday.

The strikes came after the Assad regime was accused of carrying out a chemical attack in Syria's Douma, which killed 78 civilians and injured hundreds of others.