Russian Foreign Minister spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused Turkey of trying to revive the Ottoman empire, in an interview to Russian ‘Izvestia’. Zakharova said the impression one gets from the policies adopted by Turkey is that its leadership is attempting to restore the ‘old might of the Ottoman empire’, warning of the end the empire had. She said that this behaviour hindered any efforts to normalise relations between Russia and Turkey, while expressing concerns over Turkey’s military involvement in northern Syria. ‘We showed great patience for a long period, but we now know the policies the Turkish government follows’, said Zakharova. She claimed wherever Turkey had got involved in like Syria, Crimea or the refugee crisis the outcome was ‘disastrous’.