Russia, Turkey to Coordinate on Syria

Russia and Turkey have agreed to coordinate ground operations in Syria after last week's announcement of a United States' military withdrawal, Turkish and Russian foreign ministers said, al Jazeera reported.

"We paid special attention to new circumstances which appeared in connection with the announced US military pullout," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after talks with Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Moscow on Saturday.

"An understanding was reached on how military representatives of Russia and Turkey will continue to coordinate their steps on the ground under new conditions with a view to finally rooting out terrorist threats in Syria," Lavrov said.

Cavusoglu confirmed the two countries would coordinate Syria operations, adding they also discussed plans to help refugees to return home.

"We will continue active work (and) coordination with our Russian colleagues and colleagues from Iran to speed up the arrival of a political settlement in the Syrian Republic," he said in remarks translated into Russian.

He reminded that Turkey and Russia, as guarantors of the Astana peace process, are defending Syria's territorial integrity and political unity from all efforts to harm them.

Turkey and Russia have a joint will to clear all "terrorist" groups from Syria, Cavusoglu added.

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