Erdogan, Putin agree to continue efforts on Aleppo ceasefire

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held a phone call late Thursday, and agreed to continue efforts to achieve a truce in Aleppo, Syria, the Turkish Presidency said in a statement.

The two leaders discussed Turkish-Russia bilateral ties as well as the latest developments in Syria, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Erdogan reiterated the importance of achieving ceasefire as soon as possible in the northern city of Aleppo, a rebel-held city under a devastating siege.

The Operation Euphrates Shield was also one of the major topics of discussion, the presidency said.

"The importance of the fact that Turkey's border with Syria is now completely free of the Islamic State (IS) terrorists was emphasized in the call," the statement added.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin also released a statement to confirm the telephone conversation between the two leaders.

The Turkish military launched the cross-border Operation Euphrates Shield on Aug. 24 along with the U.S.-led coalition in Syria's northern border city of Jarablus to clear the area from the IS.

Source: XINHUA