ISTANBUL, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday discussed ensuring the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz in a phone call, according to the Turkish Presidency.
The Presidency's Directorate of Communications stated that the two leaders focused on the importance of maintaining this freedom "based on international law."
During the call, Erdogan told Macron that the escalation triggered by attacks against Iran has negatively impacted the global community, while highlighting the significant role of diplomatic efforts in the ceasefire process, the directorate added.
Regarding the situation in Lebanon, Erdogan drew attention to ongoing attacks and stressed that no attempts to sabotage the ceasefire process should be permitted. He reaffirmed that Türkiye will continue to make all possible contributions to this process.
The Turkish leader also emphasized the importance of launching the second phase of the peace plan for Gaza, noting that the current momentum in the process must be maintained.
Furthermore, the two leaders "extensively" discussed developments in Syria, the peace process in the Caucasus, and efforts to seek a lasting peace and revitalize negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, said the directorate.
Meanwhile, in a post on X, Macron said, "We first discussed the situation in the Middle East and Near East, calling for respect for the ceasefire and its implementation in Lebanon, respect for freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and underscoring the need for a robust and lasting diplomatic solution." ■
