Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he and Syria's newly appointed president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, had discussed in Ankara on Tuesday steps to be taken against Kurdish militants in northeast Syria.

Speaking alongside Sharaa at a press conference in Ankara, Erdogan said Turkiye was ready to help Syria’s new leadership in the battle against both the militant Islamic State group and Kurdish militants, and added he believed the voluntary return of Syrian migrants would accelerate as Syria became more stable.

Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa visits Ankara on Tuesday for talks with Turkey's leaders on rebuilding his land and the volatile issue of Kurdish fighters near the countries' border. Sharaa is scheduled to arrive mid-afternoon,