Kremlin says cooperation with Turkey on Syria of 'great importance'

The Kremlin said Monday that cooperation with Turkey is a top priority, confirming a meeting between the Russian and Turkish presidents on Thursday over escalating tensions in Syria.

Russia attaches "great importance to cooperation with our Turkish partners," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said ahead of the talks in Moscow between Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The meeting announced on Monday comes after a sharp ratcheting up of tensions in Syria's northern Idlib province where Turkey has announced a full-scale offensive against the Russian-backed Syrian army.

Peskov told reporters that Moscow and Ankara are keeping lines of communication open and that the focus must now be on dialogue between the Turkish and Russian leaders.

"Our militaries are in constant contact. The main thing is that we now focus on negotiations between Putin and Erdogan," he said.

Despite being on opposing sides of the conflict, Turkey and Russia have coordinated closely in the past.

They secured a deal in the southern Russian city of Sochi in 2018 that led to Turkey establishing 12 military observation posts in Idlib to prevent a Syrian offensive and a fresh flood of refugees into Turkish territory.

However a recent Syrian military campaign backed by Russia to recapture Idlib has sparked concerns over the worst humanitarian crisis since fighting began in 2011.