Putin Pledges More Cooperation With Turkey In Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan say they have agreed to more closely coordinate their activities in Syria, reports Agence France-Presse. 

Cooperation is critical to achieving peace in Syria and will continue to grow, Erdogan said on Wednesday following a meeting with Putin in Moscow. 

Details of the stepped up cooperation were not made public.

There was no disagreement over a proposed 18-mile (30-km) safe zone along the Turkish-Syrian border, said Erdogan, as reported by Al Jazeera (Qatar). He did not elaborate. 

Turkey seeks to establish a corridor free of Kurdish militants, which Ankara views as terrorists.

Putin said he supported talks between the Syrian government and Kurdish representatives. Kurdish forces have called on the government for support to prevent a potential Turkish offensive. 

The leaders also discussed the situation in Idlib province, where Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group dominated by a former Al-Qaida affiliate, has consolidated its control. 

The two countries back opposite sides in the nearly eight-year conflict. 

Both seek to avoid a potential vacuum in as the U.S. withdraws its forces from Syria.