Erdoğan, Putin discuss Syria, Libya and east Med on the phone

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone about the ongoing tension with Greece in the eastern Mediterranean as well as on the conflicts in Libya and Syria, the Turkish presidency has said.

“Two leaders agreed on the importance of the continued dialogue and cooperation during the conversation in which the developments in the eastern Mediterranean and Libya were raised,” read the statement issued by the presidency on Aug 17.

Erdoğan and Putin also agreed that diplomatic and military channels remain open on issues concerning Syria, it said.

A statement issued by the Kremlin noted Syria as well. “The situation in Syria was discussed with an emphasis on intensifying joint efforts in the fight against terrorism. It was agreed on further coordination in the interests of fulfilling the Russian-Turkish agreements on the Idlib de-escalation zone, primarily the additional protocol adopted in Moscow on March 5, 2020, to the Sochi memorandum of 2018,” it said.

The two leaders discussed the latest situation in Libya as well.

“The main attention is paid to the problems of the Libyan crisis. The need for real steps by the warring parties towards a sustainable ceasefire and the launch of direct negotiations following the decisions of the Berlin Conference and Resolution 2510 of the UN Security Council was re-emphasized,” the Kremlin stressed.

Erdoğan and Putin also raised several bilateral issues, especially the start of charter flights from Russia to Turkey.

“Taking into account the resumption of regular flights with Ankara and Istanbul, as well as the resort areas of Turkey, Vladimir Putin stressed the importance of ensuring the sanitary and epidemiological safety of Russian citizens in Turkey,” the Kremlin read.

“In this context, they noted the demand for expanding cooperation between specialized agencies in the field of countering the spread of coronavirus infection, also in connection with the registration in Russia of a vaccine for the prevention of this disease,” it suggested.

Likewise, the Turkish presidency highlighted trade, tourism, energy and transportation concerning the bilateral issues that have been raised during the meeting and the need for cooperation in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Turkish president, Italian PM speak over phone

Erdoğan also held a phone call with the Italian prime minister on Aug. 17 to discuss developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, a Turkish authority said.

Turkey’s Directorate of Communications said in a statement that Erdoğan and Giuseppe Conte made evaluations for a solution to ensure peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean that would protect the rights of all countries and bring win to all sides.

During the phone call, the two leaders also discussed steps to enhance bilateral relations, and agreed to maintain cooperation and dialogue between the two countries, it added.