‘Turkey won't act against Russia based on allegation'

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signalled Turkey has no plans to follow its NATO and EU allies in expelling Russian diplomats following a spy poisoning in Britain blamed on Moscow, in comments published yesterday.

Erdogan, who has forged an increasingly close alliance with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Turkey could not take steps against Moscow "based on an allegation".

More than two dozen governments -- the majority European Union and Nato members -- expelled nearly 150 suspected Russian spies after the March 4 attack on former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the English city of Salisbury.

"Just because some countries took a step based on an allegation, we cannot decide to take the same step," Erdogan said in comments to Turkish journalists published by the Hurriyet newspaper and others.

"There is no question that we must act completely like them," added Erdogan, who earlier this week met EU chiefs for a crunch summit in Bulgaria.

London and its allies were quick to put the blame on Russia, which denies any involvement.

The discovery that Soviet-designed nerve agent Novichok was used against the pair and Russia's record on targeting dissidents have put the spotlight on the Kremlin.

The Turkish foreign ministry on Monday issued its first statement on the poisoning -- over three weeks after the attack -- condemning the use of a chemical agent but without mentioning Russia.