Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, during an official three-day work visit to the Turkish capital of Ankara, held several meetings with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. During their meetings, the two leaders discussed the latest developments in Syria, including the “de-escalation” zones that were agreed upon by Turkey, Iran and Russia. In a joint press conference, both leaders emphasized their close cooperation in finding a solution to the conflict in Syria through political means. President Putin said, “Thanks to the de-escalation zones, de-facto conditions were created to prevent fratricide, end the civil war, wipe out terrorists and pave way for people to return to peaceful living conditions. With this step, efforts to find a political solution in Syria have gained momentum as well,” he said. President Erdogan took the emphasize of the improving relations between Moscow and Ankara, stressing, “We have agreed on increasing our focus on confidence building measures. As Turkey and Russia, we confirmed our resolve to continue our close cooperation to resolve the Syrian conflict by political means,” Erdogan said.
The two leaders also discussed the Kurdish referendum and possible developments that may arise since the vote for independence.