Putin and Erdogan: Conditions created for ending the war in Syria

Turkey and Russia want to strengthen cooperation to end the conflict in Syria and work on introducing de-escalation zones in the rebel province of Idlib in northwestern Syria, the presidents of these two countries Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin stated after a meeting in Ankara, world media report, agency Patria conveys.

- We decided to intensify efforts to secure a de-escalation zone in Idlib on the border with Turkey – said the Turkish president at a press conference after the meeting with his Russian counterpart in Ankara.

Putin said that this agreement would end the fighting and create conditions for the return of refugees to their homes.

The Russian president stated that conditions have been created for ending the war in Syria, and that Russia and Turkey will build cooperation in that direction.

- The necessary conditions have been met to end this fratricidal war in Syria, to completely destroy terrorists and allow Syrians to return to a peaceful life – Putin emphasized.

He said that the agreement reached on Thursday creates conditions for the return of refugees, which is of great importance for strengthening efforts to achieve a long-term political agreement in Geneva.

Putin and Erdogan also discussed the Kurdish referendum held on Monday in Iraq, and Erdogan assessed that it was a big mistake and that it disrupted stability in the region.

The Turkish president appealed to the international community to do everything to preserve the territorial integrity of Iraq.