Russian, Turkish military officials meet in Moscow

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu, Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar and head of the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Hakan Fidan discussed the situation in the Middle East in a meeting in Moscow on Thursday.

According to a Defense Ministry statement, the meeting was held in "a constructive manner" as Shoygu, Akar and Fidan discussed matters of common interest.

Earlier on Thursday, the Turkish military had said in a statement that Akar and Fidan would meet Russian Gen. Valery Gerasimo to discuss Syria, including the Astana and Geneva peace initiatives, as well as regional security issues.