MOSCOW. Feb 20 (Interfax) - Russia is calling on Turkey to refrain from making high-profile statements on Idlib and use expert channels instead, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.
"As to the statements [made by the Turkish administration], it seems to me that any aggravation of the situation 'on the ground' [...] a host of countries think they can make statements, although, from our point of view, the first thing that needs to be done in such situations is to use the existing expert channels, their potential is huge," Zakharova told reporters on Thursday, commenting on the demand made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Damascus to withdraw troops to positions preceding the Syrian army's offensive in Idlib in the next few days, threatening to start full-scale military action in northern Syria. Erdogan said the start of a Turkish military operation in Idlib was a matter of time, adding that it might start "suddenly one night."