Russia says ready to cooperate with Turkey against terror

The Russia president says Moscow is ready to cooperate with Ankara in the fight against terrorism following a bomb attack in central Turkey that killed over a dozen Turkish soldiers.

The car bombing targeted a vehicle transporting off-duty military personnel in the city of Kayseri on Saturday. More than 50 people were also injured in the attack.

President Vladimir Putin of Russia informed his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Moscow's willingness to work with Ankara against terror in a telegram issued after the attack, Russian media reported.

The Russian president also expressed his condolences to Erdogan. Putin hoped that the battle against terrorism would become more resolute.

President Erdogan said after the bombing that a "separatist terrorist organization" was responsible for the assault. He used a phrase that is usually used by Turkish officials to refer to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

The office of Turkey's prime minister has imposed a temporary blackout on the coverage of the bombing, urging the media to refrain from publishing anything that may cause "fear in the public, panic and disorder and which may serve the aims of terrorist organizations."

On December 10, twin blasts outside a soccer stadium in Istanbul killed some 40 people. A Kurdish militant group known as the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK) claimed responsibility. TAK is believed to have connections with the PKK.

The Turkish government has been effectively in war with the PKK and similar Kurdish militant groups that Ankara considers a threat to national security.

Moscow and Ankara have been at odds over the conflict in Syria. Turkey has supported militants operating against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Russia has been one of the allies of Damascus.

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