ANKARA - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron discussed the current situation in Syria and Iraq via phone on Saturday.
Erdogan and Macron exchanged views on developments in Iraq and Syria, as well as bilateral relations and regional issues, state-run Anadolu Agency reported, citing presidential source.
The two leaders stressed the importance of preserving Iraq and Syria's territorial integrity, the source said.
Earlier in the day, Erdogan announced to launch a "serious operation" in Syria's Idlib, while Turkey and Russia jointly plan to set up "de-escalation" zones in Syria.
On Sept. 25, Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) held a controversial independence referendum despite fierce opposition from Baghdad and neighboring Iran and Turkey.
According to results announced by the KRG, almost 93 percent of registered voters cast ballots in favor of independence.
Turkey warned that the "irresponsible" referendum would damage the territorial integrity of Iraq and harm regional stability. (Xinhua)