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Ankara points fingers as civilians stuck in Aleppo despite cease-fire

Following reports that regime forces are blocking the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians from Aleppo, Ankara is accusing the Syrian regime and Shiite militias of attempting to sabotage the cease-fire Turkey brokered between Russia and opposition rebels.

People walk as they flee deeper into the remaining rebel-held areas of Aleppo, Syria December 13, 2016. REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail - RTX2UUVR
People walk together as they flee deeper into the remaining rebel-held areas of Aleppo, Dec. 13, 2016. — REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused the Syrian regime and what he called “various groups” — an oblique reference to Shiite militias — today of seeking to derail a cease-fire in Aleppo Turkey brokered between Russia and opposition rebels. The country's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to take up the matter with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Cavusoglu said he had already discussed the hitches with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov yesterday and that he would be contacting Iran’s foreign minister as well.

He didn’t elaborate.

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