Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson discussed the Syrian conflict in a telephone call, in particular ways to bring stability to the country's north, the Russian foreign ministry said on Sunday.
They discussed tackling the Syrian crisis under the aegis of the United Nations, as well as a possible agenda for Syrian talks due in the Russian Black sea resort of Sochi, it said in a statement.
The call took place on Saturday, the ministry said.
The talks took place after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said earlier on Saturday a military operation in Syria's PKK/PYD-controlled Afrin region had begun after cross-border shelling by the Turkish army.
Following Erdoğan's remarks, Free Syrian Army crossed the border with Syria in multiple locations, whereas Turkish jets started conducting airstrikes.
The Turkish military also announced that an operation named Olive Branch has been launched to clear the region of PKK/PYD/YPG and Daesh terrorists.