Erdogan, Trump agree on steps to avoid 'humanitarian tragedy' in Idlib

• "The two leaders agreed on additional steps without delay in order to avert a big humanitarian tragedy unfolding in the Idlib region," the Turkish presidency said in a statement.
• The call came after 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in an air strike by Russian-backed Syrian regime forces in the northwestern province of Idlib on Thursday, triggering a deadly retaliation by Ankara.

ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his US counterpart Donald Trump agreed in a phone call on Friday on steps to avoid a "humanitarian tragedy" in northern Syria, the Turkish presidency said.

The call came after 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in an air strike by Russian-backed Syrian regime forces in the northwestern province of Idlib on Thursday, triggering a deadly retaliation by Ankara.

"The two leaders agreed on additional steps without delay in order to avert a big humanitarian tragedy unfolding in the Idlib region," the Turkish presidency said in a statement.

Erdogan told Trump that Turkey had delivered the necessary response to the perpetrators of the "despicable attack aimed at our heroic soldiers" and reiterated Ankara's determination to clear "regime elements" from areas in Idlib covered by a ceasefire agreement signed by Ankara and Moscow in 2018, it said.