Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea city of Sochi today.
Russian media reports say Putin discussed with Erdogan Turkey’s cross-border Operation Peace Spring in Syria in a phone call on October 15 and invited him to visit Russia in coming days.
The Kremlin says it expects Turkey’s military action in Syria to be proportionate to its declared goal.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week that Russia respects “Turkey’s right to take measures to ensure its security” but also expected it be “proportionate to the task.” He wouldn’t comment on how long Moscow believes the Turkish offensive should last.
Citing a statement by Presidential Communications Directorate, Turkey’s media reports say Erdogan and Putin will meet in Sochi as part of Erdogan’s one-day visit to Russia.
Hurriyet Daily News says Turkey's presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin on October 17 received a Russian delegation led by the country's special envoy for Syria. İbrahim Kalın and Alexander Lavrentiev reportedly discussed the latest developments in Syria, including Manbij and Idlib, and Turkey's ongoing operation in the country.
Meanwhile, Erdogan said on Monday Turkey would take “necessary” further steps in northeastern Syria after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, the day that a five-day Washington-brokered ceasefire expires.
Both countries have troops in Syria, where Turkey has launched a cross-border offensive targeting Kurdish YPG fighters, and Russian forces are supporting Syrian army troops moving into northeast Syria after the U.S. started a military withdr
