Russia's Putin hosts Turkey's Erdogan to discuss Syria, ties

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan talks to members of the media regarding the local elections, in Istanbul, Monday, April 8, 2019, prior to his departure for Russia. Erdogan has defended his ruling party's move to demand a full recount of votes cast in mayoral elections in Istanbul, claiming that "almost all" of the voting was marred by irregularities. Erdogan suffered a major setback in last week's local elections after the opposition took control of the capital Ankara and won a tight race for Istanbul. (Presidential Press Service via AP, Pool)

MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin is hosting his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for talks expected to focus on the situation in Syria and their two nations' booming economic ties.

Russia and Turkey have closely coordinated moves on Syria, where they created a security zone in the northern province of Ildib.

Russia and Iran have thrown their support behind Syrian President Bashar Assad, while Turkey has backed his foes during the eight-year war. Despite that, the three countries have teamed up to broker a peace deal for Syria, united by their shared desire to undercut U.S. clout in the region.

Greeting Erdogan at the start of Monday's talks, Putin said they will also discuss the completion of a pipeline that will carry Russian gas to Turkey and other economic projects.