Russia Putin and Erdogan discuss the situation in Syria

According to the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin has called on his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a telephone conversation to help restore stability in the civil war in Syria. Ankara must use its influence in the region to restore constitutional order, according to a Kremlin statement on the phone call. Putin's troops stationed in the country are seen as a protective power for Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad.

"Vladimir Putin emphasized the need to put an end to the terrorist aggression of radical groups against the Syrian state as soon as possible and to fully support the efforts of the legitimate authorities to restore stability and constitutional order throughout the country, in particular by using Ankara's capabilities in the region," the Kremlin said. According to the statement, Erdogan had picked up the phone.

Erdogan calls for more diplomacy for a political solution

According to his communications office, Erdogan said that Turkey was working on a just and lasting solution. "President Erdogan emphasized the importance of giving more space to diplomacy in the region and stressed that the Syrian regime should participate in the political solution process," it said.

According to the Kremlin, the normalization of the situation in Syria should now not only involve bilateral contacts, but also a revival of the so-called Astana format, named after earlier meetings in the Kazakh capital. Iran is also involved in the Astana process to resolve the conflict in Syria.

Russia and Turkey have different interests in Syria

Russia and Turkey have opposing interests in the conflict, but have repeatedly agreed on key issues - such as the ceasefire in Idlib in 2020. Since then, the violence has initially decreased significantly.

A devastating war has been raging in Syria since 2011, which has completely divided the country. Assad's government most recently controlled around two thirds of the country with the help of its allies Russia and Iran. Various opposition forces dominate parts of the north-west and north-east. Turkey supports the rebel groups in the north-east of the country. A political solution to the conflict is not in sight.

SDA