Erdogan, Putin discuss Syria aid lifeline

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday discussed the extension of the United Nation’s cross-border mechanism in Syria, as well as addressing plans for a summit meeting between the two countries in the near future.

Russia on Friday vetoed a resolution by the UN Security Council that would have extended an aid delivery mechanism across Turkey’s border into Syria at the Bab al-Hawa crossing by one year, raising concerns of the repercussions this would have on the humanitarian situation in the country.

“President Erdogan underscored that he attached importance to the continuation of the cross-border mechanism in Syria,” reported Erdogan’s office following a phone call with Putin on Monday.

The aid delivery mechanism was not mentioned in the statement from the Kremlin about the phone call.

The leaders discussed plans for an upcoming Russian-Turkish summit in the near future, particularly addressing the intention to increase economic cooperation between the two countries, as well the continuation of Russian energy supplies to Turkey. 

The Russia-Ukraine war was another topic of discussion during the phone call according to Erdogan’s office, as the Turkish president reiterated his country’s willingness to provide all kinds of support towards reviving the negotiation process between Moscow and Kyiv in hopes of bringing an end to the conflict.

They also stressed the importance of trilateral meetings, including Iran, as part of the Astana talks aimed at resolving the Syrian conflict.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on February 24. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on June 7 said over 4 thousand civilians were killed and more than 5 thousand others were injured as a result of the conflict across Ukraine.

Ankara enjoys good relations with Russia and Ukraine, and acts as a mediator between both countries to end the ongoing conflict.