Putin, Erdogan Call for Greater Anti-Terrorism Effort in Syria

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke in favour of stepping up efforts to combat terrorism in Syria, including in Idlib province, during phone talks on Wednesday, Kremlin's press service reported.

"The leaders paid particular attention to the situation in Syria. They called for intensifying coordinated efforts to combat the terrorist threat, including in Idlib province and in the northeastern part of the country. The need for full implementation of the Russian-Turkish agreements on joint actions in these regions was emphasized", the press service said in a statement.

According to the statement, Putin and Erdogan also discussed the recent developments in Libya, expressing concern over the clashes in the Tripoli area.

The leaders agreed that "the normalization of the situation there would be facilitated by an immediate ceasefire and the resumption of intra-Libyan peace talks", the statement said.

Earlier in December, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Syria’s Idlib has to be liberated and returned under the country’s government control.