Putin tells Erdogan he is concerned’ by ‘aggressive’ extremist actions in Idlib

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday told his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan he was “seriously concerned” by the “aggressive actions” of extremists in Syria’s Idlib region.

The two men also agreed in a telephone call to “intensify bilateral consultations on Idlib with the aim of reducing tensions, guaranteeing a ceasefire and neutralizing the terrorist threat”, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Russian air strikes in the northwestern province of Idlib are bolstering a Syrian government offensive that has forced nearly one million civilians to flee – the biggest wave of displacement of the nine-year conflict.