Putin and Erdogan discuss escalation in Middle East

Russian President Vladimir Putin and President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed adverse consequences of the conflict in the Middle East, including in the energy sphere, the Kremlin’s press service said.

"A deepened exchange of opinions was held in connection with the continuing escalation of the military-political confrontation in the Persian Gulf area. It was noted that intensive hostilities lead to serious adverse consequences not merely of a regional but also of a global scale, including in the sphere of energy, trade and logistics," the Kremlin said.

During the telephone conversation, the two leaders also stated coincidence of positions as regards the need for the soonest possible ceasefire and elaboration of deal-seeking peace arrangements addressing legitimate interests of all countries of the region, TASS reported.

The Russian leader also thanked his Turkish counterpart "for his unwavering readiness to facilitate" negotiations on Ukraine.

The sides noted "the importance of coordinated measures for the purpose of ensuring comprehensive security in the Black Sea waters" amid Ukraine’s ongoing attempts to damage the Blue Stream and TurkStream pipeline infrastructure.

Putin and Erdogan discussed further steps "to strengthen Russian-Turkish political and trade-economic ties," particularly joint projects in the energy sector.