UPDATED: Kremlin “neither confirms nor denies” talks with U.S. in Turkey

Nov 14 (Reuters) – Russian and U.S. officials are holding talks in the Turkish capital Ankara, the Russian newspaper Kommersant reported on Monday, citing a source.

Sergei Naryshkin, head of Russia’s SVR foreign intelligence agency, is reportedly part of Russia’s delegation, Kommersant said.

A Turkish official declined comment on reports of U.S.-Russian talks in Turkey on Monday, but said Ankara was working with some countries against terrorism, including a blast that killed six people in Istanbul.

Ankara blamed Sunday’s attack in Istanbul on Kurdish militants, against which it has carried out several operations in northern Syria. In the past, it notified Moscow and Washington ahead of its operations.

Turkey has criticised Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has sent Moscow’s relations with the West into a deep freeze, while working to mediate between Ukraine and Russia

The Kremlin said on Monday that it could neither confirm nor deny a report that Russian and U.S. officials were holding talks in the Turkish capital Ankara.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Kevin Liffey)