Erdoğan, Putin to meet in Russia's Sochi
ANKARA
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will meet his Russian counterpart in Russia on Oct. 22, according to a statement by Presidential Communications Directorate.
Erdoğan and Vladimir Putin will meet in Sochi, a Russian coastal city, as part of Erdoğan’s one-day visit to Russia, the statement said on Oct. 16.
Putin invited Erdoğan to visit Russia to discuss Syria during a call between the two leaders on Oct. 15, amid pressure on Turkey to halt its operation.
Russia moved quickly on Oct. 15 to fill the void left by the U.S. troops’ withdrawal from northern Syria, deploying its military to act as a buffer as Syrian regime's forces moved north under a deal with the YPG terrorist organization.
Akar meets with US security advisor
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar met with U.S. National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien on Oct. 16 in the Turkish capital.
Akar and O'Brien discussed the latest developments in northern Syria and the planned safe zone there and exchanged views on defense and security issues, the defense ministry said.
Meanwhile, Turkey's foreign minister on Oct. 17 met with members of a delegation led by the U.S. national security advisor in the capital Ankara.
Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu met with the delegation including National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien and James Jeffrey, the U.S. special envoy for the anti-ISIL coalition, at the Foreign Ministry
O'Brien and Jeffrey are members of a U.S. delegation led by Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visiting to discuss Turkey's anti-terror operation in northern Syria, according to U.S. President Donald Trump.
Çavuşoğlu's closed-door meeting with O'Brien and Jeffrey lasted for 45 minutes, and no further details were given.
Kalın receives Russian delegation
Turkey's presidential spokesman on Oct. 17 received a Russian delegation led by the country's special envoy for Syria in the capital
Ankara.
İbrahim Kalın and Alexander Lavrentiev -- accompanied with other members of the delegation -- discussed the latest developments in Syria, including Manbij and Idlib, and Turkey's ongoing counter-terrorism operation in the country.
Both countries agreed to prevent the threat posed by all terror groups, including YPG/PKK-PYD and ISIL, against Syria's territorial integrity and to maintain the existing cooperation between Turkey and Russia on this subject during the meeting.
Turkish, British army chiefs speak over phone
In the meantime, Turkey's Chief of Staff Gen. Yaşar Güler discussed the latest developments in Syria with his British counterpart over the phone on Oct. 16.
Gen. Güler and Gen. Nick Carter spoke on the security situation in Syria, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) said on Twitter.
