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Russian, Turkish leaders discuss Assad's Moscow visit

Xinhua, October 21, 2015 Adjust font size:

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed in a telephone conversation with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, about Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's unannounced visit to Moscow, the Kremlin said Wednesday.X "The situation in Syria was discussed. In this context, the Russian leader informed his Turkish counterpart of the visit of Syrian President Assad," the TASS news agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Assad paid a surprise visit to Moscow on Tuesday, his first overseas visit since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis in 2011.

During his talks with Assad, the Russian leader said Moscow is ready to cooperate with other world powers and countries in the region that are interested in a peaceful solution to the Syrian conflict to support the political settlement in Syria.

Assad thanked Russia for preventing the spread of "terrorism" in Syria to an even larger area and not allowing the situation develop into a more tragic scenario.

TASS said Assad had returned to Damascus, quoting an unnamed Syrian source.

In his telephone conversation with Putin, Erdogan expressed concern over the situation in Syria and warned the Russian leader of a possible new wave of refugees following more military offensives, according to Turkish news agency Anatolia.

Russia's air force launched controversial airstrikes in Syria on Sept. 30 at the request of Assad, whose deposition is desired by the West. Endi