MNA – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed Turkey's operation in northeastern Syria and the safe zone in a phone call, reports said Wednesday.

According to Daily Sabah, Erdo?an claimed that the planned operation will contribute to peace and stability in Syria and will pave the way for the political process in the country during his phone call with the Russian president.

Turkey is preparing to launch a long-threatened military operation in northeast Syria to remove Kurdish-led forces from the border area and create a "safe zone" to resettle millions of Syrian refugees. The move came after the United States announced it was withdrawing its troops from the region.

The United Nations, the European Union, Iran, and other world powers have expressed alarm over the Turkish plan, warning that any military action could exacerbate the suffering of Syrians already beleaguered by eight years of conflict.