FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan pose for a picture before their talks in Ankara, Turkey September 16, 2019. Sputnik/Alexei Nikolsky/Kremlin via REUTERS

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin discussed in a phone call Turkey’s planned operation into northeastern Syria, the Turkish presidency said on Wednesday, as Ankara gears to launch its cross-border offensive.

In the call, Erdogan told Putin that the Turkish incursion will contribute to peace and stability in the country and open the way for the political process to resolve the conflict, the presidency said in a statement.