Sputnik� There are no contradictions over Turkey�s Olive Branch operation in Syria's Afrin between Ankara and Moscow, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday.



"We have no disagreements with�Russia over�Afrin. In�Idlib, a process of�setting up�the observation posts is underway. At the moment, we have already created eight such posts. A tripartite summit (Russia-Turkey-Iran), similar to�the Sochi one, is planned to�take place in�Istanbul in�the future. There, we will have an opportunity to�assess and discuss all the issues," Erdogan said during�the press conference, as�quoted by�the TRT broadcaster.


Ankara purchases the Russia-made military equipment and arms to�ensure its security despite�the disagreements with�NATO�over�the deliveries, the official added and noted that Greece has acquired Russian arms as�well, but�no sanctions over�the decision followed.

The Turkish president again criticized the United States over�the latter�s failure to�fulfill its promises to�withdraw the self-defense forces of�the Syrian Kurds (YPG) from�Manbij.

On January 20, Ankara launched operation Olive Branch in�Afrin against�Kurdish militia in�order to "clear" Turkey's Syrian border of�the terrorist threat. Turkey considers the Democratic Union Party (PYD), a Kurdish political party in�northern Syria, and YPG to�be linked to�the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), listed as�a terrorist organization by�Ankara.

The Syrian government has strongly condemned the operation conducted by�Turkey as�an assault on�the nation's sovereignty. Russia, in�turn, has urged all parties to�exercise restraint and called for�respect of�Syria's territorial integrity.