Turkish, Russian top diplomats speak over phone

ANKARA

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu spoke with his Russian counterpart over the phone on Monday, according to diplomatic sources.

Cavusoglu and Sergey Lavrov discussed the Syria issue, particularly the crisis in the northwestern province of Idlib, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The two top diplomats also talked about other regional issues.

In September 2018, Turkey and Russia agreed to turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.

But more than 1,300 civilians have been killed in attacks by the regime and other forces since then, as the cease-fire continues to be violated, including a new one declared on Jan. 12.

More than 1 million Syrians have moved near the Turkish border due to intense attacks over the last year.

Since the eruption of the bloody civil war in Syria in 2011, Turkey has taken in some 3.7 million Syrians who fled their country, making it the world’s top refugee-hosting country.

*Writing by Fahri Aksut