Erdoğan, Merkel talks migrants, Syria and Cyprus over phone

ANKARA

AFP photo

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Dec. 1 discussed negotiations between Ankara and Brussels on the migrant crisis, as well as the latest developments in the Cypriot peace process, Turkish presidential sources have stated.

The two leaders exchanged views over the Cyprus peace talks and discussed the latest developments in Syria, especially the conflict-hit city Aleppo, sources told state-run Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity. 
During the conversation, Erdoğan said Turkey wanted a “fair, lasting, and comprehensive solution that protected both sides’ rights” on the Eastern Mediterranean island. 

Reunification discussions resumed in May 2015, with the negotiations reaching a new level after they failed to produce a solution last month. The two leaders on the island decided on Dec. 1 to meet at a five-party conference, including the three guarantor powers of the island, in January 2017. 

The Turkish president reportedly said the EU must fulfill its obligations regarding refugees and expected Merkel to put forward a more active fight in Germany against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), which Turkey accuses of orchestrating the failed July 15 coup attempt.        

On Aleppo, the two leaders stressed the importance of speeding up efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Aleppo.        

Located 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the Turkish border, Aleppo is Syria’s second-largest city and it used to be home to around three million people, mainly Arabs, including 400,000 Turkmens and 200,000 Kurds.