Erdogan, Putin agree to step up aid for Syria's Aleppo
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday agreed to step up efforts to ensure humanitarian aid reaches citizens in Syria's conflict-torn northern Aleppo province. In telephone talks "the two leaders... agreed to accelerate efforts to ensure help reaches people in Aleppo," the state-run Anadolu news agency said, adding that Erdogan briefed Putin on the current Turkish operation inside Syria. The phone call was the latest sign of improving relations between Moscow and Ankara after a deal in June normalising ties in the wake of the crisis sparked by Ankara's shooting down of a Russian war plane last year. The statement said the two leaders emphasised the need to fight "all terror groups" in Syria, including Islamic State (IS) jihadists. The Kremlin confirmed the telephone talks. "The leaders held a thorough exchange of views on the situation in Syria. They noted the importance of joint efforts in line with the fight against terrorism," it said in a statement.
