Erdoğan, Putin agree to hold next summit on Syria in Istanbul

The Turkish and Russian leaders agreed Thursday to hold a trilateral meeting with Iran on Syria, in Istanbul, according to a presidential source.

No information was provided on the exact date of the summit.

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Vladimir Putin discussed Syria particularly Afrin and Idlib, during their phone conversation, the source said, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on talking to the media.

Erdoğan also shared information about Operation Olive Branch, which was launched on Jan. 20, to clear PYD/PKK and Daesh terrorists from Afrin, northwestern Syria.

The two leaders also agreed on accelerating the establishment of new observation points in the de-escalation zone Idlib.

Located in northern Syria near the Turkish border, Idlib was declared a de-escalation zone, according to a cease-fire agreement reached last year in Kazakhstan's capital Astana.

The Syrian regime, however, has repeatedly violated the deal and has targeted residential areas in opposition-held zones like Idlib.

Erdoğan and Putin touched on the humanitarian situation in Eastern Ghouta, and confirmed their determination to cooperate on matters relating to Syria, the source added.

On Nov. 22, Erdoğan, Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani met in Russia's Black Sea city of Sochi to discuss progress made in the Astana peace talks and changes in de-escalation zones across Syria.