Erdogan, Macron Discuss Syria Crisis, Sochi Summit Over Phone

Ankara: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron discussed the Syria situation and Sochi summit on phone, the media reported.

Citing Anadolu Agency, Xinhua reported that during the phone call on Saturday, Erdogan told Macron about the trilateral Sochi summit held on November 22 with the participation of Turkey, Iran and Russia, underlining the importance of holding an independent and fair election in Syria.

The two leaders stressed that Syria's territorial integrity must be respected, and the region should be protected from other terrorist organisations after the defeat of Islamic State (IS). Moreover, they also agreed to strengthen bilateral relations in the areas of economy, energy and defence industry. On Friday, Erdogan had a "fruitful' conversation with US President Donald Trump on current Syria issues, achieving consensus on stopping the delivery of weapons from the US to the Kurdish militia in Syria, People's Protection Units (YPG).

IANS