GETTY Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke on the phone on Saturday

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In a phone call yesterday the two men discussed the military strikes carried out by the West as they vowed to work together to create a political solution to the Syrian civil war. The US-led airstrikes hit the Barzah Research and Development Centre outside Damascus with 76 missiles and what the US military described as the Him Shinshar Chemical Weapons Complex outside the city of Homs. A statement released by the Kremlin said: “The Russian and the Turkish sides proceed from the fact that in the light of what has happened it is necessary to intensify bilateral cooperation aimed at real progress in the process of a political settlement in Syria.” Putin has furiously denounced the strikes carried out on key military targets of the Assad regime.

The statement added: “The Russian President stressed that the actions of a group of Western countries grossly violate the UN Charter and the fundamental norms and principles of international law.” Turkey and the US are long term allies and have previously worked together on the Syria crisis. However, Moscow and Ankara have seen a warming of relations in recent years and increasingly worked together. Earlier this month it was announced the two countries had started work on building Turkey's first nuclear power station.

Syria air strikes latest pictures: US, UK and France attack Damascus Sun, April 15, 2018 The United States, France and Britain have launched military strikes in Syria to punish President Bashar Assad for an apparent chemical attack against civilians and to deter him from doing it again. Play slideshow REUTERS 1 of 24 The destroyed Scientific Research Centre is seen in Damascus

The plant will be built by Russian state nuclear energy agency Rosatom and will be made up of four units each with a capacity of 1,200 megawatts. Russia was awarded the contract in 2010 but President Erdoğan has also signalled he may cooperate with Russia on defence projects besides an S-400 missile defence system which Moscow has already agreed to supply to Ankara. Turkey signed an agreement to buy the S-400 system in late December in a move which raised concern in the West because it cannot be integrated into NATO's military architecture.

However, despite the attempts of Russia and Turkey to come to a consensus on how to best work together in the Syrian civil war, President Erdoğan’s government have welcomed the missile strikes in Syria. Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said the actions of the US, UK and France were an “appropriate response”. They added the use of chemical weapons on civilians was a “crime against humanity” and should not be unpunished.

GETTY Vladimir Putin has furiously condemned US-led airstrikes

GETTY Turkey have long been a key ally of the US