Erdogan to meet Putin on Syria

Ankara, Jan 23 (IANS) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday departed for Moscow to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin over Syria, amid the US troops' withdrawal from the war-torn country.

During Erdogan's one-day visit, the two leaders were expected to exchange views on regional and international issues, particularly Syria, as well as bilateral relations between the two countries, according to state-run Anadolu Agency.

Prior to his visit, Erdogan on Monday said he would discuss with Putin the establishment of a Turkish-controlled "security zone" in northern Syria, which was initiated by US President Donald Trump following the military withdrawal decision, Xinhua news agency reported.

However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last week said Damascus must take control of the country's north, adding that Moscow will consider the interests of all parties, including Turkey, in setting up a safe zone.

Meanwhile, Erdogan and Putin may also discuss their cooperation on the creation of "de-escalation zone" in Syria's Idlib province, as a fruit of Turkey, Russia, Iran three-way summit held in Astana.

The two leaders had seven one-on-one meetings in 2018 and 18 phone calls to discuss bilateral relations and regional developments, especially Syria.