Erdoğan urges Putin to rein in Syria, end human crisis

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Feb. 21 emphasized the necessity to control the Syrian regime forces and halt a humanitarian crisis in northwestern Syria, during a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, according to Turkey's communications directorate.

Erdoğan also told Putin that full implementation of a 2018 Turkish-Russian cease-fire agreement for Idlib province, would bring an end to the fighting in Idlib, a statement from the directorate read.

Both leaders expressed their commitment to "all agreements," the statement said without elaborating.

The leaders also discussed the developments in Libya, where two countries back opposing sides just as in the Syria conflict.

According to a statement by the Kremlin, during the phone call Putin expressed "serious concern with continuing aggressive actions by extremist groups [in Idlib]."

"The necessity of unconditional respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria was underlined."

Earlier, Erdoğan also held a joint call with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in which he said that "the Syrian regime and its backers' aggression in Idlib must be stopped." He also emphasized the need for "strong support and concrete action" to halt the unfolding humanitarian crisis, his office said.

It followed a similar call by Merkel and Macron to Putin on Feb. 21, during which they proposed urgent talks with Erdoğan to ease tensions. Erdoğan told reporters the European leaders had proposed a four-way meeting in Istanbul on March 5, but that Putin had not responded to the offer.

As Erdoğan pressed ahead with diplomatic efforts on Idlib, Turkey's Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, accompanied by military...