According to a statement from the Directorate of Communications, in the phone call between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, bilateral relations between Türkiye and Russia, as well as regional and global issues, were discussed.
President Erdoğan emphasized that cooperation between Türkiye and Russia is crucial in resolving regional issues. He highlighted that Türkiye is closely following the process initiated to end the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine and underscored that Türkiye is ready to offer any support, including hosting peace negotiations, to ensure a just and lasting peace.
During the conversation, Erdoğan pointed out that goodwill measures to ensure safe commercial navigation in the Black Sea would contribute to the peace process. He also reiterated that Türkiye would continue to do its part to prevent the Black Sea from turning into a conflict zone.
Erdoğan stated that Türkiye attaches great importance to cooperation with Russia regarding Syria, and it is essential for both countries to work together for Syria's territorial integrity and lasting peace and stability. He emphasized that efforts to fuel ethnic and sectarian divisions that undermine Syria's unity must be thwarted and that Türkiye and Russia can work together to fully lift sanctions on Syria.
Furthermore, Erdoğan asserted that Syria's resources should be left to the Syrian government, and Türkiye supports the integration of the so-called "Syrian Democratic Forces" into the central government. He emphasized that it is of vital importance for Syria's stability to completely eliminate Syria as a conducive space for terrorist organizations.
On March 11, the Syrian Presidency announced the signing of an agreement integrating the SDF into the institutions of the Syrian Arab Republic, reinforcing national unity and rejecting any division of the country.
In a separate statement, the Kremlin said Putin shared his assessment of the progress made in the dialogue with the US on finding a peaceful solution to the Ukrainian conflict and normalizing Russian-American relations.
Putin described the Russian-American engagements as having a "constructive nature," emphasizing the positive developments achieved at the recent consultations of the expert groups of the two countries in Riyadh and the moratorium on strikes on energy facilities in Russia and Ukraine for a period of 30 days starting March 18.
"In this regard Vladimir Putin drew attention to the Kyiv's regime's persistent provocative attempts to target Russia's energy infrastructure," it said.
While discussing the Black Sea Grain Initiative, the two leaders spoke about removal of obstacles to the export of Russian food and fertilizers.
"When discussing the current situation in the Syrian Arab Republic, the leaders emphasized the importance of ensuring the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, the need to provide all possible assistance to its authorities and people in order to strengthen internal political stability, respect for the legitimate rights and interests of all ethnic and religious groups of the population," the statement said.
