Middle Orient

Three Russian warships crossed Turkey’s Bosphorus Strait Thursday en route to the eastern Mediterranean, near the Syrian coast, amid concern in the region over potential US-led strikes in response to the Damascus regime’s alleged use of chemical weapons.

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the situation in Syria with British Prime Minister David Cameron early on Friday, Putin’s spokesman said. Cameron and Putin met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Saint Petersburg

G20 leaders remain divided over the Syrian conflict as they enter the final day of their Russian summit. The splits were confirmed by both Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta and US envoy to the United Nations Samantha Power.

US President Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin were Thursday set to argue out their differences on the Syria crisis over dinner at the G20 in Russia as world leaders sought to overcome a deep chasm over a US-led push for military action.

Turkish army deployed additional troops and weapons along the Syrian border on Wednesday amid fears of a potential military intervention led by the United States. Reinforcements from Turkey’s military command in Gaziantep province

The number of the Syrians forced to leave their native country and seek shelter in refugee camps in Turkey has exceeded 200,000 people. Taking into account the people living outside these camps the figure is over half a million.

Turkey’s ambassador is due to return to Egypt on Wednesday after he was recalled last month over the bloody crackdown on supporters of the country’s ousted Islamist president, a foreign ministry diplomat said.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Wednesday that the use of chemical weapons by the Bashar Al-Assad regime was “clearly documented” and there must be “a sanction” to prevent further such violations and “crimes

China reiterated on Wednesday that only political solution can serve to resolve the ongoing conflict in Syria. “We are seriously concerned about possible unilateral military actions taken by relevant countries,” Chinese Foreign Ministry

“There is nothing dramatic – there is enhanced migration flow, there are risks for realisation of such a wave of immigrants,” said Bulgarian Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski, speaking at parliament during the brief parliamentary control sitting held on the first day of the work of the Bulgarian National Assembly after …