Turkey: Opp. leader criticizes president's Moscow visit

By Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA (AA) - A Turkish opposition leader on Tuesday criticized President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's recent visit to Russia.

"Those who won in Moscow are Russia and Assad [regime]... but we are the ones who took a step back," Good (IYI) Party leader Meral Aksener told her party's parliamentary group.

Reminding that 34 Turkish soldiers were martyred in the last month’s attack in Idlib, Syria, Aksener said although Moscow and Assad violated the 2018 Sochi agreement but still it was Ankara which had to request for a meeting.

Last week, Erdogan and Putin met in the Russian capital, and agreed to a new ceasefire in Idlib, a stronghold of opposition forces in the war-torn country.

Turkish soldiers are stationed in the region to protect civilians and counter terrorist elements.

It had called for an immediate halt in fighting to prevent a new wave of migrants along its borders. The country already hosts 3.7 million refugees, more than any country in the world.