Turkey's Erdogan says no solution in Syria with Assad

President Tayyip Erdogan insisted repeatedly in an interview with Reuters on Tuesday that there could be no solution to Syria's conflict while President Bashar al-Assad remains in power.

"Assad is not the address for a prospective solution in Syria," Erdogan said at the presidential palace in the Turkish capital. "Syria should be liberated from Assad so that a solution could emerge."

Erdogan also hinted at a softening of Russia's support for the Syrian president. Russian President Vladimir Putin, he said, told him: "'Erdogan, don't get me wrong. I'm not an advocate for Assad, I'm not his lawyer'. That's what he said. Putin told me this."