ANKARA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday that cooperation between Türkiye and Russia is crucial for ensuring peace and stability in Syria, according to a statement from Erdogan's office.
In a phone call with Putin, Erdogan underscored the importance of Ankara and Moscow working together to achieve lasting stability in Syria while upholding the country's territorial integrity, the statement said.
He said Türkiye and Russia could jointly counter efforts to destabilize Syria by fueling ethnic and sectarian divisions and called for the complete lifting of sanctions imposed on the country.
Erdogan also advocated for returning Syria's resources to its central government and reiterated Türkiye's support for integrating the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces into the national administration. He emphasized the need to eliminate "terrorist threats" to secure long-term regional stability.
The Turkish president described Türkiye-Russia cooperation as a key factor in addressing regional challenges and reaffirmed Türkiye's active role in monitoring the conflict. He expressed Ankara's readiness to host peace negotiations for a just and lasting resolution.
Erdogan also highlighted the importance of ensuring security in the Black Sea, particularly for commercial navigation, and said Türkiye remains committed to preventing the region from becoming a conflict zone.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin said Putin and Erdogan discussed the outcomes of recent consultations between Russian and U.S. groups in Riyadh, according to Russian media reports.
Putin also shared his assessment with the Turkish leader of ongoing dialogue with Washington on resolving the conflict in Ukraine and discussed renewing the Black Sea initiative on safe navigation. ■
