Erdogan, Obama discuss Syria, Turkey G20 summit

ANKARA

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has spoken with U.S. President Barack Obama over the phone, which included talks over the ongoing Syrian stalemate, Turkey's presidential press office said Tuesday.

Erdogan and Obama discussed the importance of making joint efforts to empower the moderate Syrian opposition and to intensify pressure on Daesh terrorist organization.

"The issue of finding a solution to the conflict in Syria through negotiations as well as political transition process was assessed," the office said in a written statement.

The office said that both leaders also discussed the agenda of the upcoming Turkey G20 summit that will be held in southern Antalya province from Nov. 15 till 16.

The summit will bring together 13,000 officials and delegates from member countries; about 3,000 journalists are also expected from around the world to follow the summit.

The U.S. president also congratulated Turkish people over the Nov. 1 general election.

During their talk, the two leaders also called for an end to PKK terrorist acts in Turkey, which escalated after July 20 when a Daesh suicide bomber killed 32 people in southeastern Sanliurfa province.

Syria has been gripped by a five-year civil war that has killed more than 250,000 people and displaced millions of others, after a peaceful protest had turned violent in March 2011.