Kremlin spokesman says Putin & Erdogan could hold talks on Idlib crisis next week

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could hold talks to defuse tensions over the Syria’s northwestern Idlib province as early as the coming week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists, adding that Moscow hopes the negotiations will be held on March 5 or 6. The talks will not be easy, Peskov added. Turkey launched Operation Spring Shield against the Syrian Army on Sunday as tensions escalated following Damascus’ successful operation against militants in Idlib. Russia supports Syria in its quest to liberate its territories from extremists, though Moscow is also a close partner of Turkey, which supports some armed groups, calling them “moderates.” So far, the two leaders have confirmed they will focus on resolving the situation in Idlib during the talks.