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The row between Putin and Erdogan comes amid an agreed ceasefire in Syria, something that has proved difficult to achieve as similar deals have fallen apart in the past. While Moscow and
Ankara appear to have secured a resolution for now, underlying tensions and differing objectives could see the situation flare up once again. Last month, 36 Turkish soldiers were killed by a
Moscow-backed offensive by the Syrian government's forces, leading Erdogan's troops to launch a retaliatory assault. Fears of a direct conflict between Russia and Turkey were
prevalent – with hostility erupting despite Moscow's relationship with Ankara having progressed hugely in recent months. Last week, an agreement was reached for a ceasefire after nearly
six hours of talks – including a security corridor four miles to the north and south of the crisis-plagued Idlib province, where the flashpoint took place. The Russian President tried to
quell the row, saying: “We don’t always agree with our Turkish partners on our view of what’s happening in Syria. “But every time at critical moments, thanks to the high level of our
bilateral ties, we have found common ground on areas of dispute and managed to reach acceptable solutions. This happened this time.” While Putin and Erdogan appear to have settled their
differences in the short term, the Turkish President remains furious with Syria's Bashar al-Assad. He warned that Turkey "reserves the right to retaliate with all its strength
against any attack". In September 2018, Russia and Turkey agreed to turn Idlib into a "de-escalation zone”. The area was intended to mark a clear line separating areas of control,
but fighting has continued. President Putin said he hoped the deal "will serve as a good foundation for ending the fighting in the Idlib de-escalation zone and end the suffering of the
civilian population". Erdogan and Assad have a longstanding rivalry, and in recent months their differing interests in Syria have brought their two countries to a dangerously hostile
point. READ MORE:WW3: PUTIN DUBBED ERDOGAN 'ACCOMPLICE IN TERRORISM' AFTER JET STRIKE A similar point was raised by expert on Turkey Dr Simon Waldman, who told Express.co.uk that
Erdogan has "delusions of grandeur" and therefore wants to challenge the world's biggest powers. He said: "From roughly 2002 onwards, Turkey increasingly saw itself as an
important country in the world, the term Ottomanism is always used. What people mean by that is Turkey saw itself as a regional superpower. "Because of this, Turkey thinks that it
should act in its own interest by itself and stand up on its own two feet, and when you put these things together, no wonder Turkey decides to deal with its perceived security threats
regardless of what the US thinks. "The aspiration of Turkey is to be a major power, but it is a medium sized power. So delusions of grandeur are certainly a factor."