Russia's support of the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad is "utterly wrong", Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday, after a suspected chemical attack blamed on Damascus.
"That Russia is protecting this regime is utterly wrong," Cavusoglu told NTV television, in Ankara's most bitter recent attack on Moscow after a dramatic warming of ties in recent months.
Referring to the suspected chemical attack in Syria's Idlib province that left at least 86 dead, he added that no-one "can support a crime against humanity".
Turkey and Russia have been on sharply opposing sides in the Syria conflict, with Moscow supporting the regime of Assad but Ankara pushing for his ouster as the key to peace.
Relations reached a dangerous low in November 2015 when Turkish warplanes shot down a Russian fighter jet over the Syrian border.
But a normalisation deal was reached over the summer and the two sides have been working ever more closely over the Syrian conflict.
They secured a deal to evacuate Syrians from Aleppo after the city was retaken by Assad backed by his Russian allies.
The two sides have since backed a process in the Kazakh capital Astana to search for peace to end the six-year civil war in Syria.
But Cavusoglu said incidents such as the attack in Idlib put in danger the entire peace process.
"If these attacks continue, then Astana will have lost all its sense. Can you have talks when chemical weapons" are being used? he asked.
World powers have pointed the finger at the government of Assad for the attack, but Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem repeated the government's denial on Thursday.
Russia also stood by its longtime ally, with President Vladimir Putin warning against a rush to judgement.
