Turkish, British leaders discuss Syria after US-led air strikes

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and British Prime Minister Theresa May discussed on Saturday by phone the latest developments in Syria.

According to presidential sources, Erdogan highlighted to May the importance of not further escalating tension in Syria.

Their phone call came after the US, UK and France on Saturday launched air strikes on chemical weapons facilities of the Assad regime. Erdogan said Turkey always condemns the use of chemical weapons, the source added.

May informed the Turkish side of Britain's role in the operation against the Assad regime.

Erdogan said the only way to end the Syrian regime’s persecution of its people through the use of chemical and conventional weapons was to establish a lasting peace in Syria through a political solution.

'We need to get rid of Assad'

Following Erdogan's phone call with May, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in a press briefing said the US-led intervention should have come a long time ago.

Citing that around a million people have been killed in Syria, Cavusoglu said the US-led strikes were against the Assad regime and its use of chemical weapons, not against the Syrian people.

"This [Assad] regime should no longer govern Syria. If the regime continues to conduct attacks in the future, trouble will get bigger. Chaos irrevocably will come back to Syria. We need to get to the political process as soon as possible. We need to save Syria from the current regime," Cavusoglu said.

Cavusoglu also said that Turkey has been active in securing a ceasefire in parts of Syria, through the establishment of de-escalation zones.

Turkey, Russia and Iran through the Astana process are seeking a lasting peace in Syria.