In phone call, Erdoğan, Putin agree to strengthen coordination on Afghanistan issue

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan discussed the situation in Afghanistan with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during a phone call and agreed to strengthen bilateral coordination on the Afghanistan issue, according to the information released by the official sources on Saturday.

Turkish and Russian leaders emphasised the priority was counter-terrorism and efforts to tackle drug trafficking, the presidential sources said in a statement.

The presidents also stressed the importance of ensuring stability, peace, and order in the country, the presidential sources added.
Ongoing negotiations between Taliban and former Afghan leaders on a future government are "promising," Erdoğan said after a phone call with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
Both leaders have agreed to coordinate the next steps in relations with a future government in Afghanistan, according to the Beştepe statement.

Erdoğan stressed the new government should be "inclusive" to represent all ethnic groups in the country.
The Turkish president separately said Ankara is interested in continuing to operate the Kabul airport "under favourable terms."
Erdoğan and Putin also spoke about bilateral relations, including trade and economic cooperation, and collaboration in the energy sector, according to the Kremlin.

They also exchanged condolences over last week's crash of a Russian firefighting plane in Turkey, in which three Turkish and five Russian servicemen were killed, it added.