Ties between Turkey and Russia have reached the highest level in defense and trade areas, and it is necessary to go further in this direction, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in Moscow on Thursday.

He made the statement at the start of the talks on Syria with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin. Putin said that a face-to-face meeting was necessary amid the escalation in Idlib. The developments in the Syrian province must be discussed, so that it does not ruin Russian-Turkish relations.

The Russian president reiterated his condolences over the death of Turkish troops in Syria, noting that the Syrian Army had been unaware of the Turkish forces’ location. He added that Syrian troops had likewise sustained losses recently.

Putin thanked Erdogan for finding the opportunity to travel to Moscow to hold the meeting. The two leaders began their conversation in private, as the Turkish leader had asked, and later, if necessary, the delegations would join them.

Source: RT