Turkey President Erdogan concerned Syria ceasefire will benefit Assad

Turkey is concerned that a US-Russian plan to stop fighting in Syria will provide an advantage for government forces and their backers while being indecisive on the terms for the Syrian opposition, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.

Erdogan said Turkey welcomed efforts towards a ceasefire in principle. But he accused the United States, the European Union, United Nations, Iran and Russia of acting dishonourably in Syria by directly or indirectly permitting President Bashar al-Assad's forces to kill civilians.

In a speech broadcast on television, Erdogan described as a "great lie" the notion that the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, which is seen as a hostile insurgent force by Ankara, was being given support in Syria because it was fighting Islamic State.