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WORLD NEWS Friday 2 december 2016

Turkey and Russia search for Syria cease-fire formula

SUZAN FRASER el-Din el-Zinki. “There is no
DOMINIQUE SOGUEL political solution.”
Associated Press Al-Yousef said representa-
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — tives of various rebel fac-
Turkish and Russian officials tions were in consultation
on Thursday held talks on with Turkish officials, who
the deteriorating condi- are in turn talking with the
tions in eastern Aleppo but Russians. He denied direct
gave no indication they communications with Rus-
were close to a cease-fire sia. He said there was no
as Syrian government forc- U.S. role in the consulta-
es pushed on with their as- tions, which also involved
sault on the beleaguered, the U.N.
rebel-held enclave. Residents said the govern-
Turkey and Russia, who ment’s bombardment of
are backing opposing eastern Aleppo had eased
sides in the Syrian conflict, Thursday as poor weather
only said they agreed on obstructed visibility over
the need for a cease-fire. the city. But pro-govern-
Syrian opposition fight- ment forces neverthe-
ers, meanwhile, acknowl- less advanced under the
edged the most they could cover of tank and heavy
hope for was humanitarian weapons fire into the Youth
assistance to the besieged Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks to the media during a press conference with Turk- Housing district at the edge
enclave, home to an esti- ish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Alanya, Turkey, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016. Cavusoglu said of the rebel-held enclave,
mated 275,000 people. Thursday his country and Russia want a cease-fire in Syria, where the two nations support oppos- according to state and
U.N. Humanitarian aid ing camps in the conflict. In reference to eastern Aleppo, Lavrov said his country will continue its military media.
chief, Jan Egeland, said support for the Syrian government until the city is “cleared of terrorists.” Many residents have cho-
Thursday at least 27,000 (Ibrahim Laleli/DHA via AP) sen to stay in eastern Alep-
people have fled from his Russian counterpart Ser- continue its support for the of Aleppo, where dozens po rather than flee to gov-
eastern to western Aleppo gey Lavrov in a Turkish re- Syrian government until of people have been killed ernment areas out of fear
or nearby Kurdish-held ar- sort town. Aleppo is “cleared of ter- and tens of thousands, of arrest by the govern-
eas since Saturday, when Cavusoglu said a cease- rorists.” mostly women and chil- ment’s security services.
Syrian forces advanced fire was needed in all of Syr- Ankara and Moscow have dren, have been displaced Al-Yousef said medical sup-
into rebel areas and air- ia but especially in Aleppo, long been at odds over the from their homes in rebel- plies have been exhausted
strikes continued. where multiple temporary conflict in Syria, where Rus- held areas since Saturday. in the enclave. “Currently,
“We are in agreement that truces have fallen apart, in sia backs President Bashar “What we are hoping for surgeries are carried on
a cease-fire is needed so order for humanitarian aid Assad and Turkey supports is a salvation plan to save limbs without any anesthe-
that the tragedy can come to be delivered. rebel factions fighting to the remaining residents of sia” because they are sav-
to an end,” said Turkish For- There was no sign such a topple the Syrian leader. Aleppo,” said Yasser al- ing them for injuries near
eign Minister Mevlet Cavu- cease-fire was near. The conflict has played out Yousef, a spokesman for the heart and abdomen,
soglu, speaking alongside Lavrov said his country will tragically in the divided city the opposition group Nour he said.q
Iraq hopes OPEC deal will help cover its massive war costs

SINAN SALAHEDDIN scent from a high of above Countries sealed a deal to day with the international tion.”
Associated Press $100 a barrel. lower its output for a six- benchmark for crude jump- Iraq’s financial crisis has
BAGHDAD (AP) — The gov- The plunge began just month period by 1.2 million ing 8.3 percent, or $3.86, forced the government to
ernment of Iraq is hoping months after IS militants barrels per day. Effective to $50.24. The price of oil introduce austerity mea-
that a new OPEC deal will swept across large parts of Jan. 1, the group will pro- dipped as low as $26 a bar- sures, eliminating posts,
help the war-weary country northern and western Iraq. duce 32.5 million barrels rel in February. merging some ministries,
generate enough revenue They seized territory that per day. Non-OPEC nations “If there was no deal, we halting spending on con-
to help pay for its costly, prompted a huge effort are expected to pare an would have been in a very struction projects and im-
2-year-old fight against the to rebuild and rearm large additional 600,000 barrels bad situation,” said Iraqi posing new taxes. It has
Islamic State group. segments of the military a day off their production. lawmaker Haitham al-Ja- also sought loans from for-
Iraq, whose oil revenues and security forces and to That includes Russia, which bouri, a member of parlia- eign and local lenders.
make up nearly 95 percent care for a flood of people committed itself to reduc- ment’s Financial Commit- In an interview Monday with
of its budget, has been displaced from their homes. ing its output by 300,000 tee. “The deal will have The Associated Press, Prime
reeling under an economic On Wednesday, the barrels per day. a positive impact on oil Minister Haider al-Abadi
crisis since late 2014, when 14-member Organization Oil prices gained an im- prices and therefor on our described the level of oil
oil prices began their de- of the Petroleum Exporting mediate boost Wednes- precarious economic situa- prices as “inadequate.”q