ANKARA (Sputnik) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron held a phone conversation having discussed the humanitarian situation in Damascus’ suburb of Eastern Ghouta, local media reported.
According to the Anadolu news agency, Erdogan and Macron agreed on Sunday to boost diplomatic efforts aimed at reaching the ceasefire in Eastern Ghouta based on the UN Security Council’s resolution 2401, which demands immediate cessation of hostilities in the area as well as ensuring a humanitarian pause across Syria for at least 30 days.
The Turkish president also told the French counterpart about his trip to Africa as well as the Turkish military operation against Kurdish units in the northern Syrian district of Afrin.
The parties also reportedly discussed the recent terror attack on the French Embassy in Burkina Faso’s capital of Ouagadougou.
The situation in Eastern Ghouta has been tense over the past weeks resulting in ongoing shelling by local militants on Damascus and fire from the Syrian pro-government forces. Damascus says it opens fire in response to shelling from Eastern Ghouta while the western countries are accusing the Syrian government and Russia of being responsible for the escalation of tensions in the area.
The United Nations said on Sunday that almost 600 people had been killed in Eastern Ghouta in the last two weeks and over 2,000 were injured, while shelling from the enclave killed and injured many civilians in Damascus.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
