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The Kremlin called on Ankara today not to "destabilize" Syria with a new military operation there, before the talks in Russia between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, AFP reported, quoted by BTA.

"Turkey has legitimate concerns, which, of course, we take into account. However, it is very important not to allow actions that could destabilize the situation in Syria," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

This issue, "of course, will be the subject of discussions" during today's meeting of Presidents Putin and Erdogan in Sochi, Peskov added.

The Turkish president has been threatening for months to launch a new military operation in northern Syria to push back Kurdish fighters, described by Ankara as "terrorists".

Cavusoglu: Turkey does not ask for permission to intervene in Syria

Turkey believes its security is threatened by the presence on its border of fighters from the People's Protection Forces, an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The PKK is recognized as "terrorist" by Ankara, the United States and the European Union.

At the summit in Tehran last month, Putin expressed his disagreement with Erdogan about launching a new Turkish military operation in Syria.

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Turkey

Syria

Dmitry Peskov