Putin, Erdoğan discuss Syria by phone, agree to try to arrange top-level meeting soon

Duvar English

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone on Feb. 28 to discuss the implementation of agreements on Syria's Idlib province amid mounting tension, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

Russia and Turkey are close, but will disagree: Lavrov

Lavrov told reporters at a news conference in Moscow that Russia and Turkey were ready to continue coordinating on the Syrian province of Idlib.

The leaders hashed over the implementation of the agreements in Idlib, Lavrov also said.

"Today, a phone call between presidents Putin and Erdoğan has been held at the initiative of the Turkish leader. The talks were detailed. They discussed the need to do everything possible to implement the original agreements on the de-escalation zone [in Idlib]," TASS cited Lavrov as saying.

The leaders also agreed to try to arrange a top-level meeting soon, Interfax reported.

Group protests outside Russian mission after Idlib attack

"Both sides highlighted the need for additional measures to stabilize the situation in northwestern Syria," Kremlin's press service said.

The Kremlin stressed that the parties "agreed to intensify relevant inter-agency consultations and explore the possibility of holding a top-level meeting in the immediate future."