Putin, Erodgan release joint statement calling for US-Iran calm

The leaders of Russia and Turkey called for restraint in the escalating crisis between Iran and the United States, following a meeting in Istanbul on Wednesday. 

"We believe that exchange of attacks and use of force by any party do not contribute to finding solutions to the complex problems in the Middle East," said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a joint statement written in English. 

"We express our commitment to de-escalate the existing tensions in the region and call on all parties to act with restraint as well as commonsense and to prioritize diplomacy," they added.

Tensions between Tehran and Washington ramp up over the targeted killing of top Iranian commmander Qasem Soleimani last week.