France: French, Turkish leaders discuss Syria 'road map'

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan holds olive branches as he addresses his party members in Batman, Turkey, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018. The Turkish military says two of its soldiers have been killed in Syria and a third was killed on the Turkish side of the border in an attack by Syrian Kurdish militiamen.Murat Cetinmuhurdar / AP

PARIS — French officials say President Emmanuel Macron and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are talking about working on a “diplomatic road map” for Syria in the “coming weeks.”

France’s presidency said in a statement on Sunday that the two presidents spoke by telephone Saturday about the security, political and humanitarian situations in Syria — including Turkey’s military offensive in the Syrian Kurdish enclave of Afrin.

Eight Turkish soldiers were killed there on Saturday, making it the deadliest day for Turkey since the country launched its operation targeting Kurds Syrian last month.

France’s presidency says Turkey and France want to see a political solution under the aegis of the United Nations, and that talks between France and Turkey will “intensify further in the coming days.”