Turkish and Russian media put their own spin on the battle in Idlib

07 Mar 2020 09:38 GMT

It was a bilateral meeting that came at a tense time. But it resulted in a ceasefire in Syria – specifically in Idlib in the northwest. Neither of the two leaders in front of the cameras, however, were Syrian.

There was the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In the media battle to shape global perceptions, Russia has Sputnik – a state-owned news outlet operating in Turkish amongst other languages.

Turkey has TRT World, the state-owned broadcaster with its own story to tell. This conflict – given its various proxy players and objectives – has never been easy for outsiders to understand.

And the news now coming out of Turkey and Russia – and the competing narratives – are not helping.

Contributors:

Ragip Soylu – Turkey correspondent, Middle East Eye

Mahir Boztepe – Editor-in-chief, Sputnik Turkiye

Yusuf Erim – Editor-at-large, TRT World

Ilya Yablokov – Lecturer, Leeds University