Erdogan warns against NATO-Russia conflict 

ISTANBUL, July 11: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday that any possibility of a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO was "worrying", the official Anadolu news agency reported. 

Erdogans comments came as NATO leaders huddled in Washington and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said  Russia was planning "response measures" to contain the "very serious threat" from the alliance.

"The possibility of a direct conflict between NATO and Russia is undoubtedly worrying," said Erdogan, who is in Washington for the NATO summit. "Any steps that could lead to this outcome should be consciously avoided."
Erdogan spoke a day after NATO allies announced they had started transferring F-16 jets to Ukraine while stepping up promises to Kyiv on eventual membership in the alliance, at a 75th anniversary summit clouded by political uncertainties in the United States.    —AFP