Davutoglu: Turkey not bound by Syria deal

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said that a recent deal to halt hostilities in Syria does not bind Turkey.

“All must know that this ceasefire is only valid for Syria and the warring sides in the country. If any of them poses a threat to Turkey’s security, it becomes non-binding for us,” Davutoglu told the media while in the central province of Konya province on Thursday.

Washington and Moscow this week announced a deal to halt ongoing hostilities in Syria; it is scheduled to take effect at midnight Friday local time.

It is hoped the deal will allow aid to be delivered to desperate Syrians.

Daesh and al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, the Nusra Front, are excluded from the cessation of hostilities.

Davutoglu added that Turkey would “not seek permission from anyone” when it came to the country’s security.

According to UN figures released several months ago, more than 250,000 people have been killed since the Syrian war began in 2011.

This week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that around 400,000 people had died and 12 million people had been displaced since the war started.