Serbia 'to Help Turkey, Russia Reconcile'

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic has accepted the request of Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu to assist in the reconciliation process between Ankara and Moscow, Tanjug agency quotes him as saying.

Davutoglu visited Serbia on Tuesday, meeting both Nikolic and his counterpart Vucic.

He told Nikolic Turkey was willing to have good relations with Moscow.

Nikolic replied that Belgrade understood the importance of good relations with Ankara, especially considering the "citizens of Islamic confession" living on "part of its territory".

However, the Serbian President is also quoted by Sputnik Serbia as calling the decision by Turkey to down a Russian Su-24 fighter-bomber "an attempt to drag its NATO allies in a large-scale war with Russia over Syria."

He also described the conflict in Syria as a "clash of concepts", according to Sputnik.