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Thursday 03 Mar 2016 - 13:47 Makkah mean time-23-5-1437
Ankara, (IINA) - The Turkish Foreign Ministry dismissed on Wednesday Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s call to close the Turkish-Syrian border, Anadolu Agency reported.
"Lavrov's remarks that arms were being sent to Syria through our border in aid convoys are an intentional claim, and we are thinking that they cannot be taken seriously", ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said during a press conference.
Bilgic said Russia had a "world-renowned" reputation for violating human rights. "Lavrov's remarks are a product of a futile effort made to cover up [Russia’s] war crimes in Syria", Bilgic added.
The State Department was asked about Russian accusations that Turkey was "smuggling" arms to the Syrian opposition.
Spokesman Mark Toner denied knowledge of the reports, but he said that Turkey was in control of its border. “We don't believe that it is smuggling arms", he said.
"We don't believe those allegations to be true, and I don't have any further details".
He added that border security anywhere in the world was tough to control, and that illegal crossing of foreign fighters and other materials could happen. Earlier Tuesday, Lavrov called for the closing of the Syrian-Turkish border, through which UN humanitarian aid is delivered to Syria and vulnerable civilians flee the violence.
Bilgic also dismissed another allegation by the Russian Foreign Ministry that Turkey's shelling in the Syrian town of Kinsaba had injured four foreign journalists. "Turkey does not target the area where the incident was claimed to have taken place", he added.
A cessation of hostilities deal reached by Washington and Moscow went into effect Saturday and was the latest in a series of diplomatic efforts ostensibly aimed at ending the conflict, which will soon enter its sixth year. Although reports have since indicated various breaches. ISIS and Al-Qaeda’s Syria affiliate, Al-Nusra Front along with other unspecified groups that are designated as terrorist organizations by the UN Security Council were not included in the agreement.
Asked if Turkish shelling had been directed at the PYD/YPG, the Syrian affiliate of the PKK terrorist organization, after the cessation, Bilgic said that Turkey had not fired any artillery rounds except against ISIS targets.
AG/IINA
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