Erdoğan, Putin discuss Syria over phone call

ISTANBUL

AP photo

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss Syria on Dec. 25, the Kremlin said in a statement, Reuters has reported.

Erdoğan also conveyed his condolences to Putin over the tragic Russian plane crash that was en route for a holiday concert in Latakia that killed all 92 people on board on Dec. 25, state-run Anadolu Agency reported, citing presidential sources. 

Most of the passengers on the plane were musicians from the Alexandrov Ensemble, more popularly known as the Red Army Choir, as well as nine journalists. 

The two leaders discussed recent developments in Syria as well as a widening cease-fire across the country, the Turkish sources said. 

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who was in Russia during the phone conversation, also took part in the call, the Turkish presidential sources and Kremlin said.

Nazarbayev said that he was ready to host multilateral talks on Syria in the Kazakh capital of Astana. 

“Kazakhstan is ready to host all sides for talks in Astana,” Nazarbayev was quoted as saying by Reuters. 

Earlier, Putin said on Dec. 23 that Russia, Iran, Turkey and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had all agreed that Astana should be the venue for new peace negotiations in Syria. 

Putin last week also said the next step for Syria would be to impose a nationwide cease-fire.