Erdogan to discuss Syria with Putin in South Africa

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday said he will discuss developments in Syria with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during his upcoming trip to South Africa.

Speaking at a news conference in the capital Ankara prior to his departure for Johannesburg, where he will attend the BRICS Summit, Erdogan said: "Developments in Syria, whether in Tal Rifat or Manbij, are not going as desired."

“The only places that are going in the desired direction are Afrin, Jarablus and Al Bab."

Erdogan said issues in Idlib and Daraa would also be addressed during his meeting with Putin. "Anything can happen in these places at any time."

Last month, the Syrian regime with Russian air support – launched a major military operation in Daraa, allowing it and its allies to establish control over most of Syria’s border with Jordan.

The fighting led to a major displacement crisis, with an estimated 350,000 civilians fleeing Daraa towards areas near the border.

The BRICS regional bloc is made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. These countries share over 20 percent of the global economy and contribute around 17 percent to international trade.

Erdogan will attend the BRICS summit being held between Wednesday and Friday in Johannesburg. His attendance at the summit will serve as the first high-level contact between Turkey and the BRICS bloc.

On the sidelines of the summit, the president is expected to hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of all BRICS member states and other invited leaders.