Turkey says it has persuaded Iran and Russia not to intervene militarily in Syrian rebel offensive that ousted president Bashar al-Assad.
Before the attack, Turkey held a meeting with al-Assad’s key allies Iran and Russia, says Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fida For the Turkish NTV television, among others Swedish television’s SVT and an Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post by.
– They understood, Fidan said.
According to him, Turkey’s goal was as bloodless a change of power as possible. Russia and Iran, on the other hand, understood that it was not worth investing in al-Assad anymore, he said.
The rebels quickly advanced on the capital, Damascus. Al-Assad fled to Russia.