Russia dismisses Turkey's accusations of ethnic cleansing in Syria

The Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday dismissed as groundless accusations of Turkey that Moscow has been carrying out "ethnic cleansing" in Syria.

"The statements show that the Turkish leadership is completely isolated from what is really happening in the region," Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the ministry, told a news briefing.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Wednesday accused Russia of attempting "ethnic cleansing" in northern Syria through its airstrikes by protecting Russian and Syrian bases while forcing Turkmen and Sunni populations to leave their hometown Latakia. He argued that the actions were serving the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group.

Zakharova also said Russia considered the presence of Turkish troops in Iraq as a "gross violation of international law."

"Judging by the reaction of some Security Council members, the actions of the Turkish military surprised even their closest allies, although, naturally, due to notorious bloc solidarity, they refrained from any critical comments over Ankara's actions, which have grossly violated international law," she said.

Meanwhile, the spokeswoman criticized the U.S.-led coalition in Syria for lack of discernible progress in its fight against the IS, and attributed the delay of compiling a terrorist list in the war-torn country to the "chaos" in the coalition, which she said has an absence of common understanding on some key issue.

Relations between Moscow and Ankara worsened dramatically after Turkey shot down a Russian bomber near the Turkish-Syrian border late November for alleged violation of its air space. Russian President Vladimir Putin called the downing a "stab in the back."

Russia has imposed a series of economic sanctions on Turkey and has been locked in a war of words with Turkish authorities. Endi