Erdogan, Putin agree to continue efforts for Syria political solution: Turkish presidency

 

ANKARA: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan talked on the phone to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin about Syria, agreeing to work to reduce tension and continue efforts for a political solution, Erdogan’s office said on Saturday.

Erdogan and Putin agreed to “maintain decisiveness to reduce tension on the ground in Syria and continue efforts for a political solution,” Ankara said in a statement.

On Saturday, Trump and his allies had ordered a quick-strike overnight mission in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack a week ago on the rebel-held town of Douma that left more than 40 people dead.

Washington believes both sarin and chlorine were used in the attack, a senior US administration official told reporters on Saturday.

Both the regime of Syria's Bashar al-Assad and Russia, its ally, have denied all responsibility for the April 7 attack. Moscow slammed the "aggressive actions" of the Western coalition but has not yet responded militarily.

But Russia's push for condemnation of the strikes at the UN Security Council fell short.