(AFP) - Turkey on Monday denied it had forged any secret "bargain" with Russia over the future of Syria ahead of a key ministerial meeting including Iran, despite improving cooperation that led to a deal for evacuations from war-wrecked Aleppo.
Turkey and Russia saw relations plunge to their worst levels since the Cold War last year when a Turkish jet shot down a Russian war plane over Syria.
But a reconciliation deal was signed earlier this year and despite being on opposing sides in the Syria conflict -- with Ankara backing rebels trying to
topple Moscow ally President Bashar al-Assad -- the rhetoric has warmed considerably.
This has led to suggestions that Turkey agreed to Russia helping Assad to retake all of Aleppo, while Moscow vowed not to interfere in Turkey's own
military operation in northern Syria.
"That's not how we see it," a senior Turkish foreign ministry official said. "It is not like we make a kind of a bargain. We don't see any connection."