Erdoğan, Merkel discuss Cyprus talks, Aleppo over phone

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday had a phone conversation, according to a presidential source.

The two leaders exchanged views on Cyprus peace talks and discussed the latest developments in Syria, especially the conflict-hit city Aleppo, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.

During the conversation, Erdoğan said that Turkey wanted a fair, lasting, and comprehensive solution that protected both sides' rights in the island.

Reunification discussions resumed in May 2015, and both sides repeatedly expressed optimism that a solution could be found by the end of 2016.

In addition, the Turkish president said that European Union must fulfill its obligations about the refugees and expected Merkel to put forward a more active fight against terrorist PKK and Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) in Germany.

On Aleppo, the two leaders stressed to speed up efforts for delivery of humanitarian aid to Aleppo.

Located 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the Turkish border, Aleppo is Syria's second-largest city that used to be home to around three million people, mainly Arabs, including 400,000 Turkmens and 200,000 Kurds.

A year after the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in 2011, opposition forces took control of the city's eastern districts.

In 2013, the Assad regime began a campaign of indiscriminate bombardment on the city that has triggered a humanitarian crisis in the war-battered city.