Turkey’s Erdogan to Russia’s Putin: “Why did you send forces to Georgia?”

"Why did you send forces to Georgia?”

This was the question Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wanted answered by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.

Erdogan questioned Putin’s claims that he had entered Syria on the demand of the Syrian regime.

"Russia says it is in Syria because it was invited by the Syrian government. The Syrian government is not a legitimate government,” Erdogan said.

In this context, Erdogan asked about Russia’s motives behind entering Georgia and Ukraine in the past.

"Why did you enter Georgia then? Was it because its government asked you to do so?” he asked Putin.

"And what did you end up doing with the country?”

"And did you send forces to Ukraine because you were invited there?”

Erdogan also doubted Russian forces were fighting the Islamic State (IS) in Syria.

"Turkmens say Russia bombs their villages. Russia is not fighting against IS,” he said.

"We are fighting ISIS in Syria, and I assert that Russia is not fighting ISIS but rather it is fighting forces which fight against ISIS and oppose [Syrian president Bashar Al-] Assad.”

"Russia is heavily targeting our Turkmen brother.”