Turkey summons Russian ambassador over attacks targeting Turkmen villages in Syria
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Turkey's Foreign Ministry says it has summoned the Russian ambassador demanding that Russia cease operations in Syria targeting Turkmen villages.
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Tanju Bilgic said in a statement Friday that Turkey had received reports of heavy bombardment of Turkmen villages in the Bayirbucak region, in northwest Syria.
A ministry statement said Ambassador Andrey Karlov was told that the "Russian actions do not constitute to a fight against terrorism but amount to the bombing of civilian Turkmen villages."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The statement said that Turkey warned Russia that the operations could lead to "serious problems."
Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency, quoting local Turkmen sources, said some 20 people were killed in the bombings.