'We fought Russia 16 times and will fight it again,' Erdoğan's advisor says after Idlib attack

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's advisor Mesut Hakkı Çaşın has said that Turkey fought Russia 16 times in the past and "will fight it again," after an attack by the Syrian army killed Turkish troops. Caşın pointed to Russia’s sizeable Muslim population and claimed that the country "will be shattered from inside” should an armed conflict break out between Moscow and Ankara.

Friday February 28 2020 04:50 pm

Duvar English

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's advisor Mesut Hakkı Çaşın has said that Turkey fought Russia 16 times in the past and "will fight it again," after an attack by the Syrian army killed Turkish troops.

"We have fought Russia 16 times in the past, and we will fight it again," he told pro-government A Haber on Feb. 28.

#Russia will be dismembered from within, there are 25 million Muslims in Russia, we fought Russia 16 times in the past, we will do it again, our vengeance will be quite terrible, says a regular commentator of A-Haber News network that is owned by #Erdogan's family in #Turkey. pic.twitter.com/RrdGtHnFaq
— Abdullah Bozkurt (@abdbozkurt) February 27, 2020

Caşın pointed to Russia’s sizeable Muslim population and claimed that the country "will be shattered from inside” should an armed conflict break out between Moscow and Ankara.

Russia and Turkey have waged several major wars since the 16th century. The last time the two nations fought against each other was during WWI (1914-1918).

Topics Syria Idlib AKP Turkish soldiers Syrian war Turkish politics Turkey-Russia relations Turkish government President Erdoğan President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Idlib attack Ankara-Moscow relations