Erdogan, Putin reaffirm commitment to Kurds withdrawal deal
CGTN
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin attend a joint news conference following their meeting in Sochi, Russia, October 22, 2019. /VCG Photo

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin attend a joint news conference following their meeting in Sochi, Russia, October 22, 2019. /VCG Photo

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Saturday discussed Syria and bilateral relations over the phone, Turkey's presidential office said. 

Both leaders confirmed their commitment to the "Sochi deal" reached on October 22 between Ankara and Moscow for the withdrawal of Syrian Kurdish fighters from the areas along the Turkish border in northern Syria. The deal also paved the way for joint Russian-Turkish military patrols inside Syria. 
  
Erdogan and Putin also discussed steps to be taken for developing bilateral relations and increasing bilateral trade volume, said Turkey's presidential office.

Turkish and Russian military vehicles take part in a joint patrol near the town of Al-Muabbadah in northeastern Syria, November 8, 2019. /VCG Photo

Turkish and Russian military vehicles take part in a joint patrol near the town of Al-Muabbadah in northeastern Syria, November 8, 2019. /VCG Photo

Following the U.S. pullout of its troops from northern Syria, Turkish armed forces launched a cross-border military operation into northern Syria on October 9 in a bid to drive Kurdish fighters out of the area to establish a "safe zone" along the Turkey-Syria border. 
  
Under the U.S.-Turkey deal reached on October 17 on a five-day truce, Turkey agreed to halt its military operation to pave the way for the withdrawal of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) fighters from the safe zone. 
  
Turkey and Russia later agreed to give the YPG fighters 150 hours to withdraw 30 km away from the Turkish border area and Turkish and Russian security forces started to conduct joint patrols there. 
  
However, Ankara is critical of both the U.S. and Russia for not fulfilling the requirements of the deal, saying that Syrian Kurdish fighters have not fully retreated, and even attacked the Turkish army and Turkey-backed rebels.

Read more: Will Putin-Erdogan deal end Syria war?

The YPG is seen by Ankara as the Syrian branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Turkey. 

Erdogan is due to hold talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Wednesday. 

(With input from Xinhua, Reuters)