MOSCOW – Erdogan On A Visit To Kremlin. Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Thursday, began talks over a potential ceasefire in northern Syria. This is with his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan who is on a visit to Moscow. Putin offered condolences over the recent killing of Turkish soldiers there.
According to details, Putin said the situation in Idlib province had become so tense it required one-on-one talks. While, Erdogan said he hoped the meeting would agree measures to ease the conflict.
A senior Turkish official told Reuters that the two leaders were likely to finally agree a ceasefire, after weeks of diplomacy failed to halt fighting between Turkey and allied Syrian rebels and Russian-backed Syrian government forces. “Political diplomacy will be more determinant today than military diplomacy,” the official said.
Earlier, according to the Kremlin, the two leaders talked on phone call. They both agreed on the need for additional measures. There are concerns over escalation in Idlib which lead to numerous casualties including among the Turkish military, the Kremlin said. Erdogan On A Visit To Kremlin.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters that the talks had focused on implementing a 2018 ceasefire agreement agreed for Idlib. He said as follows: “There is always room for dialogue. Today there were phone talks between presidents Putin and Erdogan. But we need to begin implementing those aims. The Syrian army has every right to reply to constant violations.”
He said that Turkey and Russia were in constant contact over Idlib. With Ankara informing Moscow of the locations of its troops on a daily basis. With these coordinates then passed to the Syrian regime.