A statement from the Turkish presidential office states that Erdogan expressed to Putin Ankara’s willingness to cooperate with Moscow in the fight against terrorism.

The president condemned the “monstrous terrorist attack” the day before, whose victims were innocent people, and expressed his condolences to the people of Russia, according to the text.

During the talks, President Erdogan said the attack showed the need for an early peaceful resolution of the crises in the region and that Türkiye is ready to develop cooperation with Russia in the fight against terrorism.

The day before, a group of armed men, dressed in camouflage, unleashed a shooting at the Crocus City Hall concert hall, located in the city of Krasnogorsk, Moscow province, just a few minutes before starting a concert by the Russian rock band Picnic.

That event was followed by a fire, which according to the Ministry of Emergencies, affected an area of almost 13 thousand square meters.

Among the fatal victims of that incident were three children, according to Moscow authorities who detained 11 suspects, four of them directly involved in the attack.

According to the Federal Security Service, after the event the terrorists tried to flee towards the border between Russia and Ukraine. Kyiv, for its part, denied involvement in the attack.

Russian authorities canceled all mass and entertainment events scheduled for the coming days, while March 24 was declared a day of national mourning for the victims.

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