Putin, Erdoğan hold phone call to discuss escalated situation in war-torn Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan discussed the "sharply escalated" situation in Syria in a phone with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, the presidential sources said on Tuesday.
The Syrian regime should engage in political dialogue amid the ongoing clashes with rebels, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said during a phone call with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, according to presidential sources.
"Türkiye backs Syria's territorial integrity, works for lasting peace. The Syrian regime must engage in a political solution," Erdoğan told Putin.
Erdoğan called for "room for diplomacy in the region, and underscored that the Syrian regime should engage in the political solution process," Erdogan`s communication office said on social media platform X.
Türkiye will maintain its fight against the bloody-minded PKK terror group and its "extensions," Erdoğan added, warning against generating "greater instability" in Syria.
Both leaders noted the importance of further close coordination between Russia, Türkiye and Iran on the matter.
The two presidents agreed on continuing to be in contact with each other in the context of seeking steps to de-escalate the crisis.
Last week, an alliance of opposition forces launched a surprise offensive in north-western Syria and took control of Aleppo, leading to a sudden flare-up in a civil war that has been going on since 2011.