Erdogan: Ankara refused to expel Russian diplomats

In a written statement, Aksoy added that Turkey “condemns what happened in the UK and regards the use of chemical weapons as a crime against humanity.”

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has confirmed that Ankara did not intend to take action against Russia over the poisoning case of former Russian double agent in UK, the Habertürk newspaper reported.

Earlier, the official representative of the Turkish Foreign Ministry Hami Aksoy made a statement saying that Ankara stands for an investigation into the case of Skripal to identify the perpetrators of the attack and bring them to justice.

Over 25 countries, including the United States and EU member states, decided to expel Russian diplomats over Moscow’s alleged involvement in the poisoning of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal. Moscow, in turn, has vowed response and emphasized that the expulsion of Russian diplomats wouldn’t in any way help the probe into the incident.

On March 4, former Colonel GRU Sergei Skripal, convicted in Russia for espionage in favor of the UK, and his daughter Julia were found unconscious on a bench at a shopping center in Salisbury and are currently being treated for exposure to what UK experts believe to be the A234 nerve agent.

Later, London issued a statement that this substance was allegedly being developed in Russia, on this basis, accusing Moscow of involvement in the incident.

The Russian side has vehemently denied the British side’s accusations and offered assistance in the investigation, requesting the samples of the chemical substance used to poison Skripal for examination. However, the UK rejected all of Moscow’s demands.