Trump and Erdogan discuss northern Syria

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Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump discussed Manbij and Idlib in northern Syria in a call on Thursday and stressed their determination to strengthen ties, Erdogan's office said.

Turkish and US forces began joint patrols on Thursday in the Manbij region, a source of friction in recent years after Kurdish forces took part of the area in a US-backed offensive to drive out the ISIL in 2016.

“Our president and US President Trump stressed their determination to take constructive steps toward strengthening US-Turkey bilateral relations further,” the statement said, while also referring to developments in Syria's Idlib region.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a meeting at the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Turkey, October 30, 2018. /VCG Photo

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders confirmed the call, saying the two leaders discussed a desire to work together, especially regarding Syria.

Turkey, which has long backed rebels seeking to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Russia, Assad's principal foreign ally, brokered a deal in September to create a demilitarized zone in Idlib.

US-Turkish relations have been strained by disputes over Syria, Iran and Ankara's planned purchase of Russian military equipment. Prospects of improving ties rose last month after a Turkish court freed a US pastor from two years of detention.

(Top image: US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attend the start of a summit in Brussels, Belgium, July 11, 2018. /VCG Photo)

Source(s): Reuters