Baladi News
Following talks with his Turkish counterpart in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the two leaders discussed how they planned to stabilize the situation in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib.
Speaking alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Putin said that more action was required to "liquidate the actions of terrorist groups" in Idlib.
Russia and Turkey also agreed to coordinate ground operations in Syria after U.S. President Donald Trump's surprise announcement in December that he would withdraw some 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria.
"If such plans are implemented, it will mark a positive move that would help stabilize the situation," Putin told a joint news conference with Erdogan.
Putin also said the Russian and Turkish defense ministers had already held talks on specific action that the two countries would take in Idlib and that the measures would now be implemented.
Putin added that he agreed to host a summit soon where Russia, Turkey, and Iran would discuss the situation in Syria, adding that he and Erdogan had agreed on the meeting’s provisional timing.
Putin and Erdogan called each other "dear friend" while exchanging greetings at the start of their meeting, hailing the close ties between their countries and their importance for regional security.
Erdogan said the two countries will continue to battle terrorist organizations in Idlib.
Cooperation between Moscow and Ankara is “a touchstone for Syrian peace and stability," he also said, adding: "With our Russian friends, we intend to strengthen our coordination even more."
Erdogan has said he would talk with Putin about the creation of a Turkish-controlled "security zone" in northern Syria.
The Turkish leader said on January 23 that Turkey and Russia don't have any disagreements about the plan, but Putin reaffirmed Moscow's support for "establishing dialogue between Damascus officials and representatives of the Kurds."
Ahead of the talks, a Kremlin statement said the two leaders "will discuss the settlement process in Syria as well as key aspects of bilateral cooperation in trade, the economy, culture, and humanitarian area."
Erdogan was accompanied in Moscow by Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Defense Minister Hulusi Akar.
Source: Radio Free Europe.