JUST IN: Russia Offers Assistance To Turkey, Assad government

Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, has offered Turkey and the Syrian government support.

Russia, a strong ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, keeps a sizable military presence there and supports ongoing hostilities against opposition forces.

Putin also gets along well with Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdoğan. Despite being a NATO member, Turkey has attempted to mediate the crisis between Russia and Ukraine.

In a statement to Erdoğan on Monday, Putin said, “Please accept my sincere condolences on the numerous human losses and extensive destruction inflicted by a tremendous earthquake in your nation.

Putin separately assured Assad that Russia felt “the anguish and pain of those who lost their loved ones” and pledged to assist.