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Have Russia, Turkey reached Syrian simpatico yet?

Russia and Turkey have attained an "unprecedented" level of cooperation in many areas, some observers say, though the Kurds in Syria may remain a sticking point.
SOCHI, RUSSIA - NOVEMBER 13:  (RUSSIA OUT)  Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) attend joint press conference after their meeting November 13, 2017 in Sochi, Russia. Erdogan is having a one-day visit to Russiian Black Sea resort of Sochi. Photo by Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, have seen a lot of each other this year. And when they're not meeting, they seem to be constantly talking with each other on the phone — so often that Russian journalists joke Putin speaks more frequently with Erdogan than with Russia's closest ally, President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus.

The most recent get-together came Nov. 13 in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi in Russia. It was their fifth meeting this year.

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