Turkey informed before US strike in Syria

Ankara April 7 (IANS) The US informed Turkey before attacking a Syrian base in Homs province Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told media on Friday.

US ambassador to Ankara John Bass contacted our (Foreign Ministry) Undersecretary Umit Yalcin before Washington fired 59 Tomahawk missiles at the Shayrat airbase Xinhua news agency quoted Cavusoglu as saying.

Information on the attack was also diffused through the coalition members fighting against the Islamic State (IS) militant group Cavusoglu said.

He also said that contacts had been initiated with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

The minister also called for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad s immediate removal saying a transitional government must be established.

He said safe zones for civilians in Syria were now more important than ever.

--IANS
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