Putin hosts Turkey's Erdogan for Syria talks

PanARMENIAN.Net - President Vladimir Putin hailed close ties between the Russian and Turkish militaries as he welcomed Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan for Friday, March 10's talks focusing on Syria, The Associated Press reports.

Russia and Turkey co-brokered a cease-fire in December that helped reduce the scale of fighting between Syrian President Bashar Assad and the opposition, and they also co-sponsored two rounds of talks this year between Assad's government and its foes. A third round is set for next week.

Russia and Turkey also coordinated their operations against the Islamic State group in Syria. A Russian air raid last month accidentally killed three Turkish soldiers, but the incident didn't derail the military coordination.

"We are actively working to solve the most acute crises, first of all in Syria," Putin said as he greeted Erdogan at the start of the talks in the Kremlin. "I'm very pleased to note, and few seemed to expect it, that our military and special services have established such efficient and close contact."

"We are pleased to see our ties recovering at a quick tempo," Putin said.

Erdogan, who called the Russian leader his "dear friend," noted that cooperation in building a prospective Russian natural gas pipeline and a nuclear power plant in Turkey also have regained pace. Both projects were put on hold amid the tensions following the Russian plane's downing.