In a surprise declaration, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on Monday each of Russia and the United States to withdraw their forces from Syria. He stated that a military solution was not possible in Syria, condemning the ongoing deaths at the hands of the Syrian regime. He made his remarks during a press conference in Istanbul prior to his departure to Russia where he is scheduled to meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Sochi. “Russia and the US must withdraw their forces if the military solution was indeed not on the table,” he added. “Those who do not believe in this solutions should withdraw their troops,” he demanded. “While talk of an absence of a military solution continues, people are still being killed in various means,” Erdogan said. He stated that the Syrian regime has killed some one million people. On his trip to Russia, he revealed that he will discuss with Putin the political solution to the Syria crisis and joint Turkish-Russian action in its Afrin region, which is under the control of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party. Ankara is seeking to isolate the party in order to prevent its linking up with other Kurdish regions in northern Syria.