Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated on Tuesday Turkey’s opposition to the inclusion of parties affiliated with the Kurdish Democratic Union Party and its armed wing, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), in the Syrian political process. He also stressed that Syria should not become a conflict zone in the ongoing dispute between Israel and Iran. On Tuesday, Erdogan discussed in a telephone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin the developments in Syria, as well as economic and energy cooperation, said Turkish presidency sources. The two leaders underlined the importance of the achievements of the Astana peace talks, stating that it is necessary for the Syrian regime and opposition to exert constructive efforts towards reaching the political solution with the United Nations framework. Erdogan and Putin agreed that Syria should not become a conflict zone between Israel and Iran, while its territorial integrity should be maintained by international parties. Recently, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu hinted that the Astana track could be an optimal alternative for the UN-sponsored Geneva negotiations, especially that they did not make any progress. Separately, Erdogan criticized on Monday US plans to establish about 20 military bases in the northern regions of Syria bordering the Turkish border. Erdogan wondered in a televised interview why US authorities would send 5,000 trucks loaded with weapons and ammunition to the region. “We have a 911-km border with Syria and the United States has about 20 military bases there. So, the bases were established for whom? Who were the weapons sent to?” he asked. Turkey is angered with US support for the YPG, which Ankara has been fighting in the northern Syrian region of Afrin. It has also repeatedly demanded that the group withdraw from Syria’s Manbij to east of the Euphrates River. Last week, a Turkish-US committee held a meeting in Ankara which, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry, resulted in a roadmap for coordination between the two sides in Manbij. Cavusoglu previously said the city would be a model for cooperation between Ankara and Washington. It will set an example for various areas under Kurdish control, especially east of the Euphrates. Cavusoglu will meet his US counterpart Mike Pompeo in Washington on June 4 to discuss the implementation of the roadmap.