ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday he may meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as part of peace efforts after the highest-level talks in public between Ankara and the Damascus government since the Syrian war began in 2011.

In a speech in Ankara, Erdogan said a trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers from Turkey, Russia and Syria would first be held to further develop contacts after a landmark talks between defence ministers in Moscow last week.

Erdogan also said he will speak to Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy to discuss the Black Sea grain corridor and fertilizer issue following his phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

(Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun; Editing by Daren Butler)

Source: Reuters.com