Putin to Erdogan: Stop the terrorists in Syria

Published 5 December 2024 at 02.24

Foreign. Russian President Vladimir Putin has asked his Turkish counterpart Erdogan to help stop the advance of Turkish-backed al-Qaeda jihadists in Syria.

Share the article

TwitterShare

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have discussed the escalating conflict in Syria in a telephone conversation, reports Remix News.

Putin stressed the importance of stopping what he called “the terrorist aggression” against the Syrian state, according to the Kremlin's press service.

At the same time, Erdogan emphasized that Turkey supports Syria's territorial integrity and wants to see a just and lasting solution in the region.

– Syria must not become a major security threat, Erdogan said, underscoring Turkey's continued fight against the Kurdish PKK and its armed wing.

Putin called on Turkey to use its influence in the region to support Syria's legitimate authorities in restoring stability and constitutional order.

The call came in light of a new wave of violence in Syria, where Turkish-backed jihadists linked to al-Qaeda and other Sunni Muslim terror groups recently seized control of Aleppo for the first time since 2016. Syrian government forces, backed by the Russian air force, have launched counterattacks and carried out several airstrikes against rebel targets in Aleppo and Idlib.

The conflict has also led to significant losses for Russian troops in Syria. According to Ukrainian intelligence, several hundred Russian soldiers have been reported missing, and Russia has been forced to reorganize its military leadership in the region.

At the same time, US forces have carried out airstrikes against a convoy of Iraqi militiamen on their way to reinforce the Syrian government in the fight against al-Qaeda terrorists.

The two presidents agreed to continue cooperation within the framework of the Astana process and to strengthen coordination between Russia, Turkey and Iran to normalize the situation in Syria.