Obama urges Russia and Turkey to focus on ISIL

On the sidelines of the ongoing Paris climate summit, Barack Obama urges Russia and Turkey to de-escalate their conflict and focus on efforts to resolve Syria's long-running civil war

Paris: Aiming to head off a rift between major Mideast players, President Barack Obama urged Turkey and Russia yesterday to set aside tensions over the downing of a Russian warplane and focus on the common priority of defeating the Islamic State group.

Bonding over ‘bombing’? Barack Obama (right) speaks to Turkish president Recep Erdogan before a bilateral meeting, in Paris. Pics/PTI

Obama, in a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, vouched for the NATO ally’s right to self-defence, and he pledged US commitment “to Turkey’s security and its sovereignty.”

Yet he emphasised the need for Turkey and Russia to “de-escalate” their conflict and not get distracted from the campaign against IS and efforts to resolve Syria’s long-running civil war. “We all have a common enemy. That is ISIL,” Obama said, using one of several acronyms for the extremist group.

After IS claimed responsibility for the Paris attacks and shooting down a Russian jet in Egypt, Obama had sought to turn the outrage across Europe into newfound resolve for stepping up the fight against IS.

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