19 February 2018•Update: 20 February 2018
By Mumin Altas and Enes Kaplan
ANKARA
The Turkish and Iranian presidents exchanged views over the phone late Monday on the latest developments in Syria, particularly Afrin and Idlib, according to presidential sources.
The sources who spoke on condition of anonymity said Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hassan Rouhani stressed cooperation in the fight against terrorist elements.
The two leaders discussed the Astana process and the Sochi Congress regarding finding solution to Syrian issue.
The Syrian National Dialogue Conference was held in the southern Russian city of Sochi on Jan. 29-30.
At the Sochi meeting -- which included representatives from Syria and the guarantor countries Russia, Iran, and Turkey -- a proposal to form a constitutional committee was agreed by all parties.
Earlier this month, Erdogan and Rouhani agreed to hold a summit of the leaders of Turkey, Russia and Iran in Istanbul on the Syrian conflict.
Erdogan also offered his condolences to Rouhani following the passenger plane crash in Iran.
Iranian authorities on Monday found the wreckage of a passenger plane that crashed with 66 people onboard in central Iran a day earlier.
On Jan. 20, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch to clear YPG/PKK-Daesh terrorists from Afrin.
According to the Turkish General Staff, the operation aims to establish security and stability along Turkey’s borders and the region as well as protect Syrians from oppression and cruelty of terrorists.
The operation is being carried out under the framework of Turkey's rights based on international law, UN Security Council resolutions, its self-defense rights under the UN charter, and respect for Syria's territorial integrity, it said.
The military also said only terror targets were being destroyed and "utmost care" was being taken to not harm any civilian.
