Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a news conference in Istanbul, Turkey, February 3, 2020. Turkish Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey will not allow the Syrian government to gain territory in the northwestern region of Idlib, President Tayyip Erdogan was quoted as saying on Tuesday, a day after eight Turkish personnel were killed in an attack Ankara blamed on Syrian troops.

Earlier, Turkey urged Russia to rein in Syrian government forces in Idlib, after the attack rattled a fragile cooperation between the two countries, which back opposing sides in the war.

Speaking on a flight back from Ukraine, Erdogan said there was no need to be in “serious contradiction” with Russia over developments in Syria for now, adding that Ankara and Moscow will sit down to talk about the issue “without anger”. He also said he may call Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.