Russia calls for direct talks with Syrian gov't to ensure Turkey's security

(With POL-TURKEY-AFRIN) MOSCOW, Feb 20 (KUNA) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday that direct talks with the Syrian government would guarantee security to Turkey.
Lavrov, in a press conference with Pakistan counterpart Khawaja Muhammad Asif, said they are convinced they could guarantee Turkish security interests through dialogue with the Syrian government.
Lavrov also accused Washington of using the Kurds to partition Syria, which would be tantamount to playing with fire.
The Russian minister added that he feared that Washington was not looking at the long-term effects of their meddling in Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkish forces would impose a siege on Afrin center in the coming days to cut the road for any supplies "reaching terrorist groups in the city." Since January 20 Turkish forces launched operation Olive Branch against Kurdish and so-called Islamic State (IS) militants inside Afrin city. (end) as.mb